News > Uttarakhand glacier burst: How glaciers can 'burst', send floods of water downstream

Uttarakhand glacier burst: How glaciers can 'burst', send floods of water downstream

Firstpost | 08/02/2021 08:39 PM | Click to read full article

Proglacial lakes, formed after glaciers retreat, are often bound by sediment and boulder formations. Additional water or pressure, or structural weakness, can cause both natural and manmade dams to burst, sending a mass of floodwater surging down the rivers and streams fed by the glacier.

High temperatures coupled with less snowfall can accelerate melting, which causes water to rise to potentially dangerous levels. Past deadly or highly destructive glacial floods have occurred in Peru and Nepal.

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