GLOF

GLOF or glacial lake outburst flooding is the flooding caused by a rupture in a glacial lake. Proglacial lakes are formed at the tip of retreating glaciers and the water in them are held back only by boulders and sediments. If it were to be breached, massive volumes of water pour downstream. They gather momentum and also materials like rocks and sediments along the way. This results in large-scale destructions in downstream settlements and infrastructure like hydroelectric dam. GLOF is suspected to be the reason behind the recent flooding in Uttarakhand.


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