Himalayan glacier thinning: Clear and present danger of outburst floods

The formation of new glacial lakes and expansion of existing ones in the Himalayas can potentially release catastrophic volumes of water and trigger glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), says a new study. GLOFs are natural disasters which can cause devastating impacts downstream, including loss of lives, infrastructure damage, and economic loss. Mongabay India writer Mudassir Kuloo reports how the changing climate has increased glacier thinning and heterogeneous mass loss globally.