// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the glacier say when it collapsed? "I'm calving under pressure.
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Glacier collapse (also known as glacial collapse or catastrophic glacier detachment) is a variant of a landslide that occurs when a large section of a glacier breaks apart, detaches, and slides rapidly downslope. Unlike a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which is the sudden release of water stored in a glacier-fed lake,[1] or a more general landslide, where the principal failing mass is rock, soil, or debris from a hillslope, a glacier collapse involves the sudden displacement of solid ice and lithic material.[2]
Mechanism
[edit]Glacier collapse requires a weakened, lubricated glacier bed and a slope angle of approximately 10-20 degrees.[3] Under these conditions, gravity is sufficient to overcome the friction between the ice and the rock bed, leading to the collapse. Additionally, the introduction of meltwater into the glacier's bed reduces the physical contact areas between the ice and the rock bed, contributing to the friction loss.[3] After detaching, the resulting ice mass scours the surrounding rock, picking up rock fragments, basal till and other debris, creating an ice-rock flow that can travel extremely long distances despite the low slope angle.[3]
Geographic distribution
[edit]Glacial collapses occur in mountainous regions with steep terrain and unstable ice. The Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are among the areas at highest risk for glacier collapse due to their extensive glacier networks.[4][5] Other areas include the European Alps, the Caucasus Mountains and areas of northern Canada and Alaska.[6][7]
Hazards and impacts
[edit]The rapid descent of debris can trigger secondary hazards, especially to populated areas downslope from the collapse, such as flash flooding, debris flows, and tsunamis.[8][9] In populated areas, flows can cause damage to homes, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The rapid nature of the resulting flows also create the risk of death and injuries as the population may not have sufficient time to vacate the flow's path. In addition to the direct danger posed to populated areas by the moving ice and rock, the flows can dam nearby rivers, or create lake displacements if they enter a body of water.[9]
Examples
[edit]Some of these events are referred to as avalanches or landslides, but are more accurately described as glacier collapses.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Where Can Glacial Collapses Happen? Scientists Identify World's Highest-Risk Regions". Science Times. 28 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ Kääb, Andreas; Jacquemart, Mylène; Gilbert, Adrien; Leinss, Silvan; Girod, Luc; Huggel, Christian; Falaschi, Daniel; Ugalde, Felipe; Petrakov, Dmitry; Chernomorets, Sergey; Dokukin, Mikhail; Paul, Frank; Gascoin, Simon; Berthier, Etienne; Kargel, Jeffrey S. (2021). "Sudden large-volume detachments of low-angle mountain glaciers – more frequent than thought?". The Cryosphere. 15 (4): 1751–1785. doi:10.5194/tc-15-1751-2021. hdl:10150/659979. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Jacquemart, Mylène; Loso, Michael; Leopold, Matthias; Welty, Ethan; Berthier, Etienne; Hansen, Jasmine; Sykes, John; Tiampo, Kristy (2020). "What drives large-scale glacier detachments? Insights from Flat Creek glacier, St. Elias Mountains, Alaska". Geology. 48 (7): 703–707. doi:10.1130/G47211.1. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ Basu, Mohana. "Glacier collapse caused Nepal's deadly flash flood — a sign of things to come?". Nature.com. Springer Nature. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ "Where Can Glacial Collapses Happen? Scientists Identify World's Highest-Risk Regions". Science Times. 28 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ Harvey, Chelsea. "Warming Caused a Glacier in Alaska to Collapse". Scientific American. Scientific American Inc. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ Shugar, Dan H.; Barnhart, Katherine R.; Berdahl, Mira; Caplan-Auerbach, Jacqueline; Ekström, Göran; Fathian, Aram; et al. (6 May 2026). "A 481-meter-high landslide-tsunami in a cruise ship–frequented Alaska fjord". Science. 392 (6803) eaec3187. Bibcode:2026Sci...392c3187S. doi:10.1126/science.aec3187. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 42089535.
- ↑ Jacquemart, Mylène; Loso, Michael (2019). "Catastrophic Glacier Collapse and Debris Flow at Flat Creek". Alaska Park Service. 18 (1): 16–25. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- 1 2 Jacquemart, Mylène; Cicoira, Alessandro (2022). "4.18 - Hazardous Glacier Instabilities: Ice Avalanches, Sudden Large-Volume Detachments of Low-Angle Mountain Glaciers, and Glacier Surges". In Shroder, Jack F. (ed.). Treatise on Geomorphology. Academic Press. pp. 330–345.