Hanging Glaciers in Central Himalaya Pose Escalating Risk to Downstream Communities
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500+ questions on Geography with explanations
📌 Summary:
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A study published in Nature Climate Change identifies a significant increase in the number and size of hanging glaciers in the central Himalayan region — glaciers perched on steep cliff faces prone to sudden collapse.
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Hanging glaciers cling to near-vertical rock faces and are more sensitive to temperature fluctuations, making them disproportionately dangerous as warming accelerates.
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The study warns of higher frequency of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and ice avalanches as these glaciers detach — events that can travel hundreds of kilometres downstream in minutes.
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High-risk zones identified: Uttarakhand (Chamoli, Pithoragarh), Himachal Pradesh (Kullu, Spiti), and upper reaches of the Ganga and Yamuna basins.
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The 2021 Chamoli disaster — a hanging glacier collapse triggered a flash flood killing over 200 people — is cited as a reference event for the scale of risk.
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Climate change driver: Mean surface temperature in the Himalayan region has risen 0.5 degree Celsius faster than the global average; permafrost thaw weakens the rock-ice interface.
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Mitigation recommendations: GLOF early warning systems, satellite-based glacier monitoring, high-risk zone mapping, and community evacuation planning.
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India NDMA relevance: Himalayan states need updated district disaster management plans specifically for GLOF risk.
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UPSC Relevance: Cryosphere, GLOFs, Chamoli disaster, NDMA, climate change, Himalayan ecology.
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