Hazard mitigation of glacial lake outburst floods in the Cordillera Blanca (Peru): the effectiveness of remedial works

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. S489-S501 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Emmer ◽  
V. Vilímek ◽  
M.L. Zapata
Keyword(s):  
Hazard Mitigation ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Cordillera Blanca ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

Landslides in moraines as triggers of glacial lake outburst floods: example from Palcacocha Lake (Cordillera Blanca, Peru)

Landslides ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1461-1477 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Klimeš ◽  
J. Novotný ◽  
I. Novotná ◽  
B. Jordán de Urries ◽  
V. Vilímek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Cordillera Blanca ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

scholarly journals New method for assessing the potential hazardousness of glacial lakes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 2391-2439 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Emmer ◽  
V. Vilímek
Keyword(s):  
Slope Movement ◽  
Dam Failure ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Flood Wave ◽  
Glacial Lakes ◽  
Cordillera Blanca ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood ◽  
Dam Overtopping

Abstract. This paper presents a new and easily repeatable objective method for assessing the potential hazardousness of glacial lakes within the Peruvian region of Cordillera Blanca (excluding ice-dammed lakes, which do not reach significant volumes in this region). The presented method was designed to meet four basic principles, which we considered as being crucial. These are: (a) principle of regional focus; (b) principle of objectivity; (c) principle of repeatability; and (d) principle of multiple results. Potential hazardousness is assessed based on a combination of decision trees for clarity and numerical calculation for objectivity. A total of seventeen assessed characteristics are used, of which seven have yet to be used in this context before. Also, several ratios and calculations are defined for the first time. We assume that it is not relevant to represent the overall potential hazardousness of a particular lake by one result (number), thus the potential hazardousness is described in the presented method by five separate results (representing five different glacial lake outburst flood scenarios). These are potentials for: (a) dam overtopping resulting from a dynamic slope movement into the lake; (b) dam overtopping following the flood wave originating in a lake situated upstream; (c) dam failure resulting from a dynamic slope movement into the lake; (d) dam failure following the flood wave originating in a lake situated upstream; and (e) dam failure following a heavy earthquake. All of these potentials theoretically range from 0 to 1. The presented method was verified on the basis of assessing the pre-flood conditions of seven lakes which have produced ten glacial lake outburst floods in the past and ten lakes which have not. A comparison of these results showed that the presented method successfully identifies the potentially hazardous lakes.

scholarly journals Análisis Sedimentológico del Paleolago Jircacocha, Quebrada Cojup, Cordillera Blanca, Perú.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Chimira N. ◽  
Eyles Carolyn H. ◽  
Harrinson Jara, ◽  
Rodrigo Narro-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Cordillera Blanca ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

El impacto del calentamiento global es especialmente evidente en las regiones de gran altitud de la Cordillera Blanca en Perú, donde los glaciares andinos de valle están retrocediendo rápidamente. Debido al aumento del deshielo y el retroceso de los glaciares, grandes lagos pro-glaciares están formando en frente, retenidos por inestables diques de morrenas frontales y laterales. Estos diques morrénicos, confinados dentro de angostos valles desglaciados, son propensos a fallar y pueden liberar GLOFs (glacial lake outburst floods) catastróficos. Tales aluviones atraviesan rápidamente estos valles angostos, erosionando sedimento preexistente y depositando materiales a medida que disminuyen en energía. Es importante entender la naturaleza y la distribución espacial de los sedimentos que ahora rellenan estos angostos valles desglaciados porque ejercen un control crítico sobre el movimiento de las aguas superficiales y subterráneas, las cuales son recursos importantes para las comunidades del área. Este artículo documenta sedimentos de relleno de valle expuestos en un afloramiento de ocho metros de altura en un costado de la Quebrada Cojup, cerca de la ciudad de Huaraz en la Cordillera Blanca. Este afloramiento expone sedimentos que fueron depositados en un lago represado por una morrena, el paleolago Jircacocha que anteriormente ocupaba la parte media de la quebrada. Dentro del afloramiento, se delinearon siete zonas de facies, dominadas por gravas masivas en capas toscas (Gms), arenas y gravas con estratificación entrecruzada (St/Gt) y limos y arcillas deformadas (Fd). Estas zonas de facies se agruparon en cuatro asociaciones de facies que permitieron la interpretación de los procesos deposicionales y las condiciones paleoambientales que transicionaron de un sistema delta alto/fluvial (FA1), a un sistema lacustre (FA2), a un sistema GLOF-dominado (FA3) y finalmente a un sistema de drenaje lacustre-fluvial (FA4). Esta investigación establece las características de los sedimentos que rellenan la parte media de un valle desglaciado y sirve como base para el desarrollo de modelos sedimentológicos y de landsystems más amplios que pueden usarse para mejorar la comprensión de la historia deposicional y la importancia hidrogeológica de sucesiones sedimentarias de relleno de valle que están formando rápidamente en regiones desglaciadas.

70 years of lake evolution and glacial lake outburst floods in the Cordillera Blanca (Peru) and implications for the future

Geomorphology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 365 ◽  
pp. 107178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Emmer ◽  
Stephan Harrison ◽  
Martin Mergili ◽  
Simon Allen ◽  
Holger Frey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Cordillera Blanca ◽  
Lake Evolution ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
The Future

scholarly journals Simulation and Assessment of Future Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Poiqu River Basin, Central Himalayas

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1376
Author(s):  
Taigang Zhang ◽  
Weicai Wang ◽  
Tanguang Gao ◽  
Baosheng An
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Hazard Assessment ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Glacial Lakes ◽  
Central Himalayas ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a typical glacier-related hazard in high mountain regions. In recent decades, glacial lakes in the Himalayas have expanded rapidly due to climate warming and glacial retreat. Some of these lakes are unstable, and may suddenly burst under different triggering factors, thus draining large amounts of water and impacting downstream social and economic development. Glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin, Central Himalayas, have attracted great attention since GLOFs originating there could have a transboundary impact on both China and Nepal, as occurred during the Cirenmaco GLOF in 1981 and the Gongbatongshaco GLOF in 2016. Based on previous studies of this basin, we selected seven very high-risk moraine-dammed lakes (Gangxico, Galongco, Jialongco, Cirenmaco, Taraco, Beihu, and Cawuqudenco) to simulate GLOF propagation at different drainage percentage scenarios (i.e., 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), and to conduct hazard assessment. The results show that, when any glacial lake is drained completely or partly, most of the floods will enter Nepal after raging in China, and will continue to cause damage. In summary, 57.5 km of roads, 754 buildings, 3.3 km2 of farmland, and 25 bridges are at risk of damage due to GLOFs. The potentially inundated area within the Chinese part of the Poiqu River basin exceeds 45 km2. Due to the destructive impacts of GLOFs on downstream areas, appropriate and effective measures should be implemented to adapt to GLOF risk. We finally present a paradigm for conducting hazard assessment and risk management. It uses only freely available data and thus is easy to apply.

Debris Flows Resulting From Glacial-Lake Outburst Floods in Tibet, China

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 508-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Cui ◽  
Chao Dang ◽  
Zunlan Cheng ◽  
Kevin M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flows ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

scholarly journals Using satellite images to monitor glacial-lake outburst floods: Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly A. Friesen ◽  
Christopher J. Cole ◽  
David A. Nimick ◽  
Earl M. Wilson ◽  
Mark J. Fahey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Images ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

What’s in a lake? Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Peruvian Andes.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Wood ◽  
Stephan Harrison ◽  
Ryan Wilson ◽  
Neil Glasser ◽  
John Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Peruvian Andes ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Glacier Recession ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Lake Systems ◽  
Physical Components

<p>Climate change is resulting in mass loss and the retreat of glaciers in the Andes, exposing steep valley sides, over-deepened valley bottoms, and creating glacial lakes behind moraine dams. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) present the biggest risk posed by glacier recession in Peru. Understanding the characteristics of lakes that have failed in the past will provide an aid to identifying those lakes that might fail in the future and narrow down which lakes are of greatest interest for reducing the risks to local vulnerable populations. </p><p>Using a newly created lake inventory for the Peruvian Andes (Wood et al., in review) and a comprehensive GLOF inventory (unpublished) we investigate lakes from which GLOFs have occurred in the past. This is to establish which physical components of the glacial lake systems are common to those lakes that have failed previously and which can be identified remotely, easily and objectively, in order to improve existing methods of hazard assessment.</p>

scholarly journals Reconstructing the History of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, East Nepal: An Interdisciplinary Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5407
Author(s):  
Alton C. Byers ◽  
Mohan Bahadur Chand ◽  
Jonathan Lala ◽  
Milan Shrestha ◽  
Elizabeth A. Byers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Debris Avalanche ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Lateral Moraine ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Terminal Moraine ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

An interdisciplinary field investigation of historic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Kanchenjunga region of Nepal was conducted between April and May, 2019. Oral history and field measurements suggested that at least six major GLOFs have occurred in the region since 1921. A remote sensing analysis confirmed the occurrence of the six GLOFs mentioned by informants, including two smaller flood events not mentioned that had occurred at some point before 1962. A numerical simulation of the Nangama GLOF suggested that it was triggered by an ice/debris avalanche of some 800,000 m3 of material, causing a surge wave that breached the terminal moraine and released an estimated 11.2 × 106 m3 ± 1.4 × 106 m3 of water. Debris from the flood dammed the Pabuk Khola river 2 km below the lake to form what is today known as Chheche Pokhari lake. Some concern has been expressed for the possibility of a second GLOF from Nangama as the result of continued and growing landslide activity from its right lateral moraine. Regular monitoring of all lakes and glaciers is recommended to avoid and/or mitigate the occurrence of future GLOF events in the region. Collectively, the paper demonstrates the benefits and utility of interdisciplinary research approaches to achieving a better understanding of past and poorly documented GLOF events in remote, data-scarce high mountain environments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document