A catastrophic flash flood that devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region was likely triggered by a massive glacial collapse rather than an earthquake, according to experts. While initial reports suggested seismic activity caused the disaster, the US Geological Survey confirmed that the event originated from a glacier disintegrating, an impact so powerful it registered as a 5.2 magnitude event.
Dr. Simon Cook of the University of Dundee noted that the lower section of a glacier near the Langtang Lirung peak collapsed, sending a surge of ice and rock debris into the Lende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi river. Data from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) indicates that water levels in downstream rivers surged by seven to nine meters in just 30 minutes, destroying multiple water monitoring stations.
Experts suggest the disaster was the result of a complex interaction between tectonic activity and climate change. Professor Mike Searle of Oxford University explained that the Himalayas are continuously rising due to tectonic pressure, which steepens glaciers and makes them prone to breaking. However, the scale of this collapse was described as "very unusual."
Scientists have long warned that rising temperatures are accelerating the melting of Himalayan ice and thawing permafrost, which destabilizes high-altitude environments. ICIMOD research indicates that glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are losing ice at double the rate observed since 2000. While attributing a single event to climate change remains complex, researchers emphasize that the increasing frequency of such disasters fits a broader pattern of environmental degradation.
Source: BBC News
暂无评论。快来发表第一条评论吧。