Global Assessment Highlights Increasing Risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 21 May 2024

This review paper maps the global distribution of glacial lakes, consolidating historical trends of sudden outburst flooding to predict future hazards and associated risks in each region. More than 3,000 glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have occurred during the past thousand years, particularly in High Mountain Asia, Iceland, and Alaska. Glacial lakes can unleash catastrophic amounts of water in a few hours to days with little warning. They represent a major threat to downstream communities from tens to hundreds of kilometers away. Today, over 10 million people across the world are vulnerable to GLOFs. In High Mountain Asia alone, these flooding hazards are projected to triple by 2100, especially with continued high emissions.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-024-00554-w