Glacial lake outburst floods in Alaska and the Himalayas show evolving hazards in a warming world
- Written by Brianna Rick, Postdoctoral Fellow, Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center, University of Alaska Anchorage
Glacial lakes are common in the Himalayas, as this satellite view shows. Some are dammed by glaciers, other by moraines.NASA In August 2023, residents of Juneau, Alaska, watched as the Mendenhall River swelled to historic levels in a matter of hours. The rushing water undercut the riverbank and swallowed whole stands of trees and multiple...

