Nepal flood likely caused by glacial collapse, experts say

A catastrophic flash flood in Nepal was likely triggered by the dramatic collapse of a glacier, experts have concluded, analyzing satellite imagery of the event. The lower portion of a glacier reportedly broke off and plunged hundreds of meters into the valley below, initiating the deadly deluge.

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Confirmed that a significant part of the snout of this glacier collapsed and initiated this event, likely dragging with it a considerable amount of rock and sediment.

Satellite images captured by Planet Labs before and after the disaster reveal that a green mountainside is now buried under brown deposits and sediment. Vikram Gupta, an expert in engineering geology and professor at Sikkim University in India, stated that a significant part of the glacier's snout collapsed, likely dragging substantial amounts of rock and sediment with it.

While the precise reason for the glacier's collapse is still under investigation, Nepalese officials have pointed to a recent earthquake in the region as a possible contributing factor. Dan Shugar, an Earth scientist and associate professor at the University of Calgary, noted that satellite images suggest a large amount of snowmelt occurred in the 24 hours preceding the disaster. He observed that some glaciers in the valley were snow-covered one day and largely exposed ice the next, indicating unusually warm temperatures.

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Some glaciers in the valley yesterday were covered in snow, and today they are mostly bare, only ice is visible. In other words, although I haven't seen weather station data yet, it was probably warm.

Shugar further elaborated that the lower part of the glacier detached at an altitude of approximately 5,200 meters and fell about 1,200 meters to the valley floor. The question of whether climate change played a role is something that will undoubtedly be investigated, he added.

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On this morning's Planet Labs satellite images, I can see that the lower part of the glacier broke off at an altitude of about 5,200 meters and plunged to the bottom of the valley, about 1,200 meters lower.

Nepal's mountains have lost nearly a third of their ice in just over 30 years due to global warming, according to a 2023 UN report. The report also noted that glaciers in Nepal have been melting 65% faster in the last decade compared to the previous one. The region is also home to several hydroelectric projects in the most affected areas, raising concerns about the impact of such natural disasters on infrastructure and development.

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The question of whether climate change played a role is something that we will undoubtedly be investigating in the near future.