Glacial lake outbursts are floods caused by the emptying or overflowing of glacial lakes. Glacial lakes are naturally dammed lakes formed by ice dams or moraines, located within, on or at the edge of glaciers. Outbursts of such lakes occur either through overflow or when damage occurs to the dam. It is expected that such events will occur more frequently in the future due to the global increase in temperature and glacier melt in existing glacier areas. When glacial lakes break out, enormous amounts of water and debris flow out within a very short time. These floods can reach catastrophic dimensions, with serious consequences for the population and infrastructure in the valley below.
To assess the risk of glacial lake outbursts, our analyses primarily examine the distance to glacial areas.