Fears that the climate crisis is destabilising mountain and polar regions have increased following a devastating flash flood in the border communities of Nepal and Tibet. The event, which occurred on Wednesday, left at least 360 people dead and 1,400 missing.
Satellite imagery suggests a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas was the main cause of the torrent of mud, water, and ice that swept along the Bhotekoshi River. The impact of the ice wall crashing down on Langtang Lirung, a 7,000-metre mountain, registered a magnitude of 5.2.
Dr Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist with the British Antarctic Survey, stated that ground temperatures near the site reached a two-year high two days before the collapse. He suggested these high temperatures likely weakened the snowpack and thawed the bonds between ice and rock that stabilise glaciers.
Scientists are examining the precise mechanics of the disaster, but many note that global heating, caused by the burning of gas, oil, and coal, is weakening glaciers and permafrost worldwide. Dr Richard Waller, a senior lecturer in physical geography at Keele University, explained that as permafrost and ice-filled joints melt, there is potential for catastrophic failures in high mountain areas.