TY  - JOUR
A1  - Cook, Kristen L.
A1  - Andermann, Christoff
A1  - Gimbert, Florent
A1  - Adhikari, Basanta Raj
A1  - Hovius, Niels
T1  - Glacial lake outburst floods as drivers of fluvial erosion in the Himalaya
T2  - Science
N2  - Himalayan rivers are frequently hit by catastrophic floods that are caused by the failure of glacial lake and landslide dams; however, the dynamics and long-term impacts of such floods remain poorly understood. We present a comprehensive set of observations that capture the July 2016 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in the Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi River of Nepal. Seismic records of the flood provide new insights into GLOF mechanics and their ability to mobilize large boulders that otherwise prevent channel erosion. Because of this boulder mobilization, GLOF impacts far exceed those of the annual summer monsoon, and GLOFs may dominate fluvial erosion and channel-hillslope coupling many tens of kilometers downstream of glaciated areas. Long-term valley evolution in these regions may therefore be driven by GLOF frequency and magnitude, rather than by precipitation.
Y1  - 2018
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/51716
SN  - 0036-8075
SN  - 1095-9203
VL  - 362
IS  - 6410
SP  - 53
EP  - 57
PB  - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
CY  - Washington
ER  -