Himalayan glacial lake floods could hit Nepal with 15 times the force ever seen
Worst-case glacial lake flood scenarios in a transboundary Himalayan basin 2022
A new study in the transboundary Himalayan basin of Nyalam, Tibet, models worst-case glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) from two dangerous lakes, Galongco and Jialongco, and a potential future lake. Large rock or ice avalanches could trigger floods at the Nepal border over 15 times larger than any previously observed or anticipated from gradual dam breaches. Warning times would be just 5–11 minutes in Nyalam and 30 minutes at the border. The authors call for integrated disaster risk management combining early warning systems, land-use zoning, and community response capacity.
Large (>20×10^6 m3) rock and/or ice avalanches could generate GLOF discharges at the border with Nepal that are more than 15 times larger than what has been observed previously or anticipated based on more gradual breach simulations.
- brainless
I can understand that this is not the exact location where the floods actually happened. But I am sad and I am frustrated and I am angry.
We had floods in Sikkim, which is practically a "stone throw" away from a world-level map point of view. I was there then. There was past research but everyone was so surprised. Activists talking about that event 10 years prior. Published reports.
Yet, we do nothing to move people away. To pause and think what the hell is going wrong. Just keep hustling and pretend shit is not going to go wrong. I am tired of our* culture.
our: all of us, I am not only talking about India, Nepal or China here.
- trompetenaccoun
>simulated worst-case outburst events from these lakes both in the Tibetan town of Nyalam and downstream at the border with Nepal
For context that's not where the flood happened, there's a massive mountain range in between those vallies reaching over 8000m (Shishapangma).
In earth science there are thousands of worst case scenario models published, but it's hard to actually predict reality.
- ChiperSoft
Context: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/world/live-news/nepal-flash-f...
- vmh1928
Near Juneau, Alaska, USA, the Mendenhall glacier has repeatedly, over the last few years, had a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. Not nearly as catastrophic as the one in Nepal but it did flood areas near Mendenhall River in Juneau. The latest event was August 13, 2026.
- inasio
Reminded me of the Huascaran avalanche (1970, killed approx 30K people) [0]. I'm surprised this is not also in the thousands of casualties (perhaps it'll get there) [0]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Huascar%C3%A1n_debris_ava...
- jvanderbot
I believe this is how the Hudson Bay was formed, in what must have been quite a sight.
- yolo3000
Reminded me of this documentary I saw last year - https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/122807-000-A/arte-reportage/ . I thought it was the same lake
- srean
Remember Orion and Rocky
https://www.dogmanray.com/true-stories/orion/
https://greatergood.com/blogs/news/heroic-dog-rocky-saves-63...
It would have been more apt if his name was Sirius.
Sadly it's not uncommon to see teenage and young men groups to seek out puppies and pregnant strays to stone to death in Himachal and Uttarakhand (two states in Himalayan India). Properly vaccinated they can be protectors.