Glacial lakes have grown rapidly around the world in recent decades, according to satellite images that reveal the impact of increased meltwater draining off retreating glaciers. Scientists analysed more than quarter of a million satellite images to assess how lakes formed by melting glaciers have been affected by global heating and other processes. The images show the number of glacial lakes rose by 53% between 1990 and 2018, expanding the amount of the Earth the lakes cover by about 51%. According to the survey, 14,394 glacial lakes spread over nearly 9,000 square km of the planet’s surface.
Based on the figures, the researchers estimate the volume of the world’s glacial lakes grew by 48% over the same period and now hold 156.5 cubic km of water. Glacial lakes are an important source of fresh water for many of the world’s poorest people, particularly in the mountains of Asia and parts of South America. But the lakes also present a growing threat from outburst floods that can tear down villages, wash away roads and destroy pipelines and other infrastructure. The fastest-growing lakes are in Scandinavia, Iceland and Russia, which more than doubled in area over the study period. Because many of the lakes are relatively small, the rise in volume is not substantial on a global level.
Though meltwater is crucial for many communities living in valleys beneath glaciers, sudden outbursts from glacial lakes can be devastating. Writing in the journal, the scientists highlight particular threats to hydroelectric power plants in the Himalayas; the Trans-Alaska pipeline, which traverses mountains hosting glacial lakes; major roadways such as the Karakoram highway between China and Pakistan, a corridor that carries billions of dollars of goods annually.
Source: Guardian
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