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Climate crisis destabilizing mountains, experts warn after Nepal disaster

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A devastating flash flood in Nepal and Tibet, caused by a glacier collapse, has killed at least 360 people and left 1,400 missing.
  • Experts warn the climate crisis is destabilizing mountain geology, weakening glaciers and permafrost due to rising global temperatures.
  • Unusual heat and monsoon rains likely contributed to the glacier's detachment, highlighting the increasing hazards from cryosphere regions.

A catastrophic flash flood in Nepal and Tibet, triggered by a massive glacier collapse, has underscored experts' growing concerns about the climate crisis destabilizing fragile mountain environments. The torrent of mud, water, and ice tore through border communities along the Bhotekoshi River, destroying buildings and roads, and resulting in at least 360 confirmed deaths with 1,400 people still missing.

Additional analysis of long-period seismic waves indicates that the seismic energy was instead generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow.

— US Geological SurveyExplaining the cause of the seismic activity recorded during the disaster.

Satellite imagery and seismic data indicate that a large section of ice from the Langtang Lirung mountain gave way, generating a significant impact. While initially attributed to an earthquake, the US Geological Survey concluded that seismic energy was generated by the glacial collapse and subsequent debris flow. This event pushed immense boulders and debris into the river, causing water levels to surge dramatically within minutes.

Scientists are investigating the precise mechanics of the disaster, but many point to global heating as a key factor weakening glaciers and permafrost worldwide. Unusual heat preceding the collapse likely melted ice that bound the rock and ice together, while saturated soil from the monsoon season may have exacerbated the situation. Dr. Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist, noted that high temperatures would have weakened the snowpack and thawed the bonds holding glaciers in place.

These high temperatures would have weakened the snowpack, filled crevasses with water and thawed the bonds between ice and rock that hold these glaciers in place.

— Dr. Hamish PritchardA glaciologist with the British Antarctic Survey, explaining the impact of unusual heat on the glacier.

This incident aligns with dire warnings from bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has cautioned that rising temperatures will intensify hazards from cryosphere regions, leading to increased floods and landslides. The disaster serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of mountain areas and the millions of people living in or downstream from them as the planet continues to warm.

Every increment of warming will multiply and intensify future hazards from cryosphere regions.

— Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeQuoted from their sixth synthesis report, warning about the consequences of rising temperatures.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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