| Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Environment, Ecology and Disaster Management, Topic: Disasters, Issue: Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) |
Context: Uttarakhand government has constituted two teams of experts to evaluate the risk posed by potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the region.
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs):
- Refers to sudden discharge of water from glacial lakes caused by glacier melting.
- Melting glaciers leave depressions filled with meltwater, forming potentially hazardous lakes.
- Receding glaciers enlarge these lakes, which are often dammed by unstable ice or sediment.
- GLOFs occur when boundaries of these lakes break, leading to rapid water discharge.
Triggers:
- Glacial calving, avalanches, or landslides destabilizing lake boundaries.
Consequences:
- Release large volumes of water, sediment, and debris downstream, causing floods and destruction.
- Submerge valleys, destroy infrastructure, and cause loss of life and livelihoods.
| +1 advantage for mains (Reports):
·       A study published in Nature in 2023 identified Southeastern Tibet and the China-Nepal border area as particularly susceptible to more frequent GLOFs since 1980. ·       India and Pakistan face high GLOF danger due to their large populations and vulnerability, despite not having as many glacial lakes as other regions. |
