Abstract
Debris flows caused by glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are common hazards in mountain environments. The risk posed by glacial lake outburst hazards is particularly evaluated where the lower reaches of catchments are populated. A potentially dangerous lake has been identified adjacent to the Uchitel Glacier in Northern Tien Shan. This lake formed between 1988 and 1994 on the site of a retreated glacier in the upper part of the Aksay Valley. In this study we consider the possibility of an outburst of this pro-glacial lake in the future. The study involved bathymetry mapping of the lake, detailed profile sections of the valley, flow rate measurements on the Aksay river, and monitoring of the lake development using satellite images. Modelling of secondary debris flow inundation heights and hazard footprints has been undertaken. The outburst of this lake could cause powerful debris flows posing a threat to permanent residents living downstream, in the Ala-Archa Valley. Monitoring of the lake over the past ten years suggests certain changes in the runoff to the subsurface, and an increase in lake depth is observed. Glacial lakes with subsurface drainage are considered to be the most hazardous type as the knowledge of drainage channels functioning is still very limited and, thus, the timing of an outburst is hard to predict. Development of monitoring approaches to support forecasting of these hazards is of paramount importance to safety in mountain territories globally.
Highlights
Climatic changes have a noteworthy impact on the cryosphere in high mountain regions, thereby affecting the magnitude and frequency of geomorphic processes such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, or snow avalanches [1,2]
The depression formed during the phase of glacier retreat in last 60 years years intra-moraine depression
Experience from historic GLOF events that took place across the Tien Shan mountains [26,39] show that even a lake with small volume can cause a debris flow with a flow rate of 300 m3 s−1
Summary
Climatic changes have a noteworthy impact on the cryosphere in high mountain regions, thereby affecting the magnitude and frequency of geomorphic processes such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, or snow avalanches [1,2]. GLOFs and debris flows are the most common natural hazards in mountain environments and are responsible for the large damage to infrastructure, and even loss of life. Natural hazards related to glaciers’ degradation in high mountain terrains can have severe downstream consequences. GLOFs and glacier related debris flows have significant social and economic consequences in lower-elevation valleys and even in adjacent lowlands [6,7,8,9]. These phenomena have been described in all large mountain ranges around the world: in Central
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