Glacial hazards in the Rolwaling valley of Nepal and numerical approach to predict potential outburst flood from glacial lake

In recent years, climate change and retreating glaciers constitute a major hazard in the Himalaya of South Asia. Glacial lakes are rapidly developing or increasing due to climate change. The rapid development of the lake may cause outburst of the lake. The outburst discharge from the glacial lake can cause catastrophic flooding and disaster in downstream area. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the impact of climate change on glacial lakes and to understand the characteristics of the glacial lake outburst. In this study, the field assessment of Tsho Rolpa Glacial Lake in the Himalaya of Nepal has been presented and the impact of climate change on this glacial lake has been discussed. The Tsho Rolpa Glacial Lake is the largest and most potentially dangerous glacial lake in Nepal. In addition, a numerical model has been also developed for computing the characteristics of glacial lake outburst due to moraine dam failure by seepage and water overtopping. The numerical model is tested for the flume experimental cases. The simulated results of the outburst discharge, the dam surface erosion, and the temporal variation of the moisture movement in the dam are compared with those obtained from the hydraulic model experiments. The moisture profile calculated by numerical model was agreeable with the experimental moisture profile. The simulated failure surface of the dam due to seepage by considering the suction in slope stability analysis gave more agreeable results than the Janbu's simplified method. The results of the outburst discharge and dam surface erosion also agreed with the experimental results.     

国内外冰碛湖溃决研究进展

末次冰期以来,气候变暖导致全球高山地区的冰川环境变化剧烈,冰碛湖稳定性降低导致溃决频率增加,成为中国、尼泊尔、俄罗斯、秘鲁等10多个国家和地区频繁发生的冰川灾害类型之一。冰碛湖溃决诱发形成的洪水和泥石流,由于规模巨大、成灾速度快和波及范围广等特点,造成下游地区的基础设施和生命财产遭受惨重损失。本文通过对国内外冰碛湖溃决事件、溃决诱因、溃决模式和溃决洪水特征4个方面研究现状和发展现状的梳理和分析,总结经验和思路,从而为冰碛湖溃决研究和评价提供借鉴和参考。     

Landslides in moraines as triggers of glacial lake outburst floods: example from Palcacocha Lake (Cordillera Blanca,Peru)

Studies focusing on moraine deposits which slide into glacial lakes are scarce, even though they can trigger impact waves responsible for generating glacial lake outburst floods. We focused on landslides in lateral moraines as possible triggers. Detailed geomorphological, geophysical, and satellite radar interferometric investigations of the Palcacocha Lake moraine (Cordillera Blanca, Peru) together with laboratory tests on samples from the site provided data for slope stability calculations using GeoSlope software and hydrodynamic impact wave modeling using the Iber code. We identified landslides that could affect Palcacocha Lake and calculated their stability (factor of safety) under specified conditions, including variable water saturation and earthquake effects. Calculations showed that the moraine slopes are close to the threshold value (Fs?=?1) for stability and are especially sensitive to water saturation. The height of impact waves triggered by a landslide in 2003 and the potential wave heights from newly identified, possibly active landslides were calculated, based on landslide volume estimates, detailed lake bathymetry, and basin topography. Results show that potential future landslide-triggered waves could have similar properties to the 2003 impact wave. Evidence gathered in this study suggests that glacial lake outburst floods triggered by landslides from moraines, however, would be probably smaller than floods resulting from other types of slope processes (e.g., ice/rock avalanches) if dam breach is not taken into account. This assumption has to be critically evaluated against site-specific conditions at a given lake and any possible environmental factors, such as climate change or earthquake that may mobilize larger volumes of moraine material.     

西藏聂拉木县嘉龙湖冰湖溃决型泥石流危险性评价

冰湖溃决型泥石流是高原山区特殊的地质灾害,以西藏聂拉木县嘉龙湖为例,建立了一套冰湖溃决型泥石流危险性评价方法.以喜马拉雅山区1970—2015年气温波动频次和聂拉木冰湖溃决历史事件预测了未来10年嘉龙湖溃决的时间概率.利用遥感影像识别嘉龙湖上方不稳定冰体的范围和规模,采用美国土木工程师协会推荐公式和修正的三峡库区涌浪计算方法分析了冰川滑坡产生的涌浪规模,从涌浪波压力和越顶水流推力两方面预测了冰碛坝发生失稳的可能性.采用FLO-2D模拟冰湖溃决泥石流的运动过程,以最大流速和泥深表达了嘉龙湖溃决泥石流的危险程度.评价结果表明:2002年嘉龙湖溃决事件与当年气温偏高有关,未来嘉龙湖发生溃决概率高;冰川滑坡激起涌浪能够翻越坝顶,并引起坝体快速侵蚀而溃决;冰湖溃决泥石流对聂拉木县城河道两侧54栋建筑造成威胁.评价方法实现了冰湖溃决型泥石流危险性的定量分析,评价结果对聂拉木县城泥石流防灾具有现实意义.      

亚洲高山区冰湖溃决洪水事件回顾

冰湖溃决洪水是由冰湖快速大量释水所导致的自然灾害。在全球变暖背景下,亟待建立完整的冰湖溃决洪水数据库,以进一步对冰湖进行危险性评估和风险管理。整理了亚洲高山区（青藏高原及周边地区）的冰湖溃决洪水资料,得出冰湖溃决洪水主要分布在天山山脉、喀喇昆仑山、喜马拉雅山脉、念青唐古拉山、横断山等区域。20世纪以来,亚洲高山区共计发生冰湖溃决洪水277起,其中冰碛湖溃决洪水113起,冰坝湖溃决洪水164起。导致冰碛湖溃决的诱因以冰-雪崩或冰川滑塌为主导,占50.1%,埋藏冰融化或管涌、强降水或上游来水、滑坡-岩崩以及地震占比分别为23.1%、18.5%、7.4%和0.9%。1980年以来,冰碛湖溃决洪水的发生频率呈较弱的增长趋势;但由于发生溃决的冰湖趋于小型化,其溃决水量与洪峰流量在喜马拉雅山脉、天山山脉等地区呈显著下降趋势。2010—2018年间喜马拉雅山脉中段发生8起冰湖溃决洪水事件,远高于天山山脉、喜马拉雅山脉东段和念青唐古拉山等地区,成为新的高发区,是未来重点关注的地区。在未来冰湖溃决洪水频率可能增加的状况下,相关国家和地区在应对冰川灾害、实现区域防灾减灾等方面需要加强沟通交流,共同建立跨区域协调的防灾体系。     

Influence of glacial retreat on natural hazards of the Palcacocha Lake area, Peru

In this article we describe natural hazards associated with outburst floods of Palcacocha Lake and landslide events on the slopes of its moraine dam, in Cojup Valley, Cordillera Blanca (Peru). These events occurred in the last 70 years and some of them resulted in disasters, which strongly affected the city of Huarás. Field investigations and reference expression hydrodynamic tests as well as archive satellite images and aerial pictures were used to describe the evolution of hazards connected with Palcacocha Lake. Expression hydrodynamic tests proved a high permeability of sandy gravels glacial sediments, which form the present-day lake dam. Seepage through the natural dam forming small ponds below the overflow spillways occurs. A retreat of the glacial tongue causing an increase of the lake volume and unloading of the slope toe areas are the most important recent processes that influence the potential hazards affecting the Cojup valley. The research has proved that the climate warming and ongoing deglaciation play a very significant role in the change of natural hazards conditions in high mountains.     

Threat of glacial lake outburst flood to Tehsil Gupis from Khukush Lake, District Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a powerful natural phenomenon that is very active in the Karakoram and Himalayas. This paper presents a case study from Gupis Tehsil in northern areas of Pakistan that is exposed to GLOFs from nine different glacial lakes in its upper catchment areas. Khukush Lake being the largest of all the glacial lakes has been studied and a flood attenuation model has been created for the whole Gupis Tehsil. This lake covers almost 2.2 km² of surface area, and its calculated volume is 2.6 × 10⁴ m³. In case of its outburst, the peak flow discharge is calculated to be 7,642 m³/s. The catchment area which contributes water and debris to the lake is 170 km². This lake is dammed by a glacial moraine, which is not strong enough to sustain the pressure for a longer period of time. Other factors that are reducing the reliability of the dam are the secondary hazards which are in direct contact with the lake, and in case of their reactivation, they can put severe impacts on the dam. There are eight potential sites of the snow avalanche activity where debris along with snow may fall directly into the lake producing a strong wave. This strong wave of water will increase the pressure on the dam and ultimately will increase the probability for its outburst. The presense of water springs towards the downstream side of the natural dam also indicate the presence of hidden channels passing through the dam which may weaken the shear strength of the dam. Almost 24 villages settled along either sides of the Gupis River are critically studied for the expected flood from Khukush Lake. With few exceptions, almost 20–25 % area of all the villages will be affected from this flood.     

Causes of catastrophic failure of Tam Pokhari moraine dam in the Mt. Everest region

The moraine dam of the Tam Pokhari glacial lake breached on 3 September 1998 and caused a catastrophic flood in the downstream areas. To learn from the event, a field survey was conducted. The survey team found that a landslide, which is considered to be responsible for the outburst flood, occurred in the northeast-facing slope of the moraine dam. The dam internal structure played a crucial role in forming a landslide that triggered the excess overflow and finally the breach of the dam. The internal structure of the dam was made of alternating layers of finer and coarser sediments inclining at 30° downstream and layers are truncated in the upslope direction by a huge pile of unconsolidated and structureless moraine materials. Since the upstream slope angle of the dam i.e., 40° is larger than the angle of repose i.e. 35° of sediments, the increased pore water pressure in the dam triggered a landslide. The rainfall and seismological activities of that particular day, which hit the record high, were crucial in triggering the failure. It is estimated that the dam’s north and northeast-facing slopes completely slid involving about 30,000 m³ of sediment mass of unconsolidated moraine materials above the shear plane. A slope stability analysis was also performed. The calculated safety factor was 0.85, and the calculated slip circle agreed with the shear plane marked in the dam. About 18 million cubic metres of water was swiftly released due to the sudden breach of the moraine dam.     

冰湖溃决泥石流的形成、演化与减灾对策

本文分析了主要由冰滑坡和冰崩入湖导致的冰湖溃决的机理和条件.进而,从气候条件、水文条件、终碛堤、冰湖规模、冰滑坡、沟床特征和固体物质补给等方面分析了冰湖溃决泥石流的形成条件和特点,归纳出冰湖溃决泥石流沿程演化的6种模式:溃决洪水-稀性泥石流、溃决洪水-黏性泥石流、溃决洪水-稀性泥石流-黏性泥石流、溃决洪水-黏性泥石流-稀性泥石流、溃决洪水-稀性泥石流-黏性泥石流-稀性泥石流和溃决洪水-黏性泥石流-稀性泥石流-洪水.针对冰湖溃决泥石流突发性强、频度低、洪峰高、流量大、流量过程暴涨暴落、破坏力强和灾害波及范围广等特点,提出了7点减灾对策.     

西藏喜马拉雅山地区冰湖溃决的预测模型及其应用研究

以西藏喜马拉雅山地区的冰湖为研究对象,基于现有的冰湖溃决预测方法,提出了建立冰湖溃决预测方法的关键点,即选取的指标必须能够体现冰湖的动态变化特征.在定量分析的建模过程中应该采用不确定性的数学理论,对于冰湖溃决可能性的等级划分需要进行合理性及实用性验证.选取坝顶宽度、湖水面距坝顶高度与坝高之比、冰湖面积和补给冰川面积为预测指标,通过对西藏喜马拉雅山地区29个冰湖样本进行逻辑回归分析,建立了冰湖溃决的预测模型,并用所有样本进行了交叉验证.结果表明：该模型能够在分类应用中取得较好效果,根据溃决冰湖累积百分数随冰湖溃决可能性大小的变化曲线,将冰湖溃决的可能性划分为四个等级.以黄湖为例,把湖水面距坝顶高度与坝高之比作为冰湖溃决的诱变指标,分析了冰湖溃决可能性大小的变化规律.结合现有的冰湖溃决预测的定性方法,讨论了所建立的冰湖溃决预测模型的优点和缺点.     

西藏喜马拉雅山脉中段冰湖变化与溃决特征分析 ——以桑旺错和什磨错为例

年楚河流域是西藏自治区农业相对发达的地区,流域内冰川发育较好,冰川融水是地表径流重要的组成部分,冰湖溃决洪水灾害也威胁着下游村镇和城市。本文利用遥感技术对流域内桑旺错和什磨错两个冰湖特征进行分析,结合实地野外调查,对冰湖变化和溃决特征展开讨论。结果表明：1987-2018年,桑旺错和什磨错都呈扩张趋势,面积分别增加了0.31 km²（5.56%）和0.954 km²（96.9%）,变化率分别为0.054 km²·（10a）^-1和0.311 km²·（10a）^-1。桑旺错和什磨错侧碛垄、终碛垄为松散堆积物,结构松散、稳定性差。桑旺错出水口开阔,出水流畅。什磨错没有出水口,在最内侧终碛垄外有渗流。桑旺错和什磨错后缘冰川冰舌相接,冰舌陡峭,冰舌崩塌可能性较大,同时两湖侧碛垄稳定性较低,也存在崩塌的风险。桑旺错溃决风险较小,什磨错溃决风险较大。     

Flow dynamics,sedimentation and erosion of glacial lake outburst floods along the Middle Pleistocene Scandinavian Ice Sheet (northern central Europe)

During the Middle Pleistocene late Saalian glaciation of northern central Europe numerous pro‐glacial lakes formed along the southwestern margin of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. Little is known about the drainage history of these lakes, the pathways of glacial lake outburst floods and their impacts on erosion, sedimentation and landscape evolution. This study investigated the impact of the late Saalian Weser and Münsterland Lake (Germany) outburst floods. In particular, we reconstructed the routing and flow dynamics of the lake outburst flood and analysed the flood related sediments. We employed one‐dimensional hydraulic modelling to calculate glacial lake outburst flood hydrographs. We modelled the flow pathway and local flow conditions along the pathway based on the boundary conditions of two different hydrographs and two different ice‐margin positions. The modelling results were compared with geomorphological and sedimentological field data in order to estimate the magnitude and impact of the flood on erosion and sedimentation. Two major lake drainage events are reconstructed for the study area, during which approximately 90–50 km³ of water was released. Modelling results indicate that the lake outburst floods created a high‐energy flood wave with a height of 35–50 m in confined valley areas that rapidly spread out into the Lower Rhine Embayment eventually flowing into the North Sea basin. The sedimentary record of the outburst floods comprises poorly sorted coarse‐grained gravel bars, long‐wavelength bedforms and sandy bedforms deposited by supercritical and subcritical flows. Some parts of the sandy flood deposits are rich in reworked mammoth bones or mammoth and horse teeth, pointing to reworking of older fluvial sediments, hydraulic concentration and subsequent re‐sedimentation of vertebrate remains. These deposits are preserved in sheltered areas or at high elevations, well above the influence of postglacial fluvial erosion. The flood‐related erosional features include up to 80‐m‐deep scour pools, alluvial channels and streamlined hills.     

Morphological analysis and features of the landslide dams in the Cordillera Blanca,Peru

Global warming in high mountain areas has led to visible environmental changes as glacial retreat, formation and evolution of moraine dammed lakes, slope instability, and major mass movements. Landslide dams and moraine dams are rather common in the Cordillera Blanca Mountains Range, Peru, and have caused large damages and fatalities over time. The environmental changes are influencing the rivers’ and dams’ equilibrium, and the potential induced consequences, like catastrophic debris flows or outburst floods resulting from dam failures, can be major hazards in the region. The studies of past landslide dam cases are essential in forecasting induced risks, and specific works on this topic were not developed in the study region. Reflecting this research gap, a database of 51 cases and an evolution study of landslide dams in the Cordillera Blanca Mountains is presented. The main morphometric parameters and information of the landslide, the dam body, the valley, and the lake, if any, have been determined through direct and indirect survey techniques. Low variability in some of the main morphometric parameter distributions (valley width and landslide volume) has been shown, most likely due to an environmental control connected to the regional tectonic and glacial history. In order to analyze present and future landslide dam evolution, a morphological analysis was carried out using two recently developed geomorphological indexes employed on the Italian territory. The results of the Cordillera Blanca analysis have been compared with a large Italian landslide dam inventory, highlighting as much the differences as the similarities between the two datasets. The long-term geomorphological evolution changes are evaluated. Many of the stable dams are in disequilibrium with their surrounding environment and their classification result is of “uncertain determination.”     

喜马拉雅山北坡冰碛湖坝温度特征及其对堤坝稳定的影响

堤坝稳定性是评价冰湖溃决危险性的重要指标, 而堤坝的温度特征与其稳定性密切相关. 基于2012年11月-2013年9月对西藏定结县龙巴萨巴湖冰碛坝的0~150 cm不同深度的温度观测数据, 分析冰碛坝地温变化特征及其影响. 结果显示: 冰碛坝表层(<20 cm)地温与气温变化一致, 温度日变化常出现白天为正温梯度而夜间为负温度梯度的特征, 全年日均梯度一般为负温梯度(上部温度高、下部温度低); 中层(20~100 cm)和深层(>100 cm)表现为冬季下层温度高于上层温度的正温梯度, 夏季下层温度低于上层的负温梯度逐渐加强, 但地温日变幅逐渐减弱; 中间层地温变化不到气温变化幅度的1/5~1/10; 深层地温无明显的日变化. 冰碛坝的消融率约为2.1 cm·d^-1, 夏季消融深度超过250 cm. 现有夏季消融深度对堤坝的稳定影响有限, 但是湖盆区如果持续升温, 冰碛坝冻土的年消融率和消融深度都将增大, 致使堤坝稳定性下降, 溃决风险增大.     

Debris flows triggered from non-stationary glacier lake outbursts: the case of the Teztor Lake complex (Northern Tian Shan,Kyrgyzstan)

One of the most far-reaching glacier-related hazards in the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan is glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and related debris flows. An improved understanding of the formation and evolution of glacial lakes and debris flow susceptibility is therefore essential to assess and mitigate potential hazards and risks. Non-stationary glacier lakes may fill periodically and quickly; the potential for them to outburst increases as water volume may change dramatically over very short periods of time. After the outburst or drainage of a lake, the entire process may start again, and thus these non-stationary lakes are of particular importance in the region. In this work, the Teztor lake complex, located in Northern Kyrgyzstan, was selected for the analysis of outburst mechanisms of non-stationary glacial lakes, their formation, as well as the triggering of flows and development of debris flows and floods downstream of the lakes. The different Teztor lakes are filled with water periodically, and according to field observations, they tend to outburst every 9–10 years on average. The most important event in the area dates back to 1953, and another important event occurred on July 31, 2012. Other smaller outbursts have been recorded as well. Our study shows that the recent GLOF in 2012 was caused by a combination of intense precipitation during the days preceding the event and a rapid rise in air temperatures. Analyses of features in the entrainment and depositional zones point to a total debris flow volume of about 200,000 m³, with discharge ranging from 145 to 340 m³ s^?1 and flow velocities between 5 and 7 m s^?1. Results of this study are key for a better design of sound river corridor planning and for the assessment and mitigation of potential GLOF hazards and risks in the region.     

尼泊尔4·25地震震前冰湖制图与潜在危险性分析

由于地震灾害的影响,冰湖上游的冰滑坡、冰崩、滑坡、泥石流会进入湖泊,通过冲击波或抬高水位,造成冰川坝或冰碛坝突然垮塌导致冰湖迅速排水而形成洪水或洪水泥石流.首先基于Landsat8遥感影像通过人工目视解译的方法构建尼泊尔2015年4月25日地震震前冰湖数据,为我国和尼泊尔的抗震救灾提供重要的数据支撑.然后利用历史遥感数据解译获取研究区2015年以前的历史冰湖数据,对历史冰湖数据和2015年的冰湖数据进行地理空间分析,计算其面积变化和长度变化.最后结合尼泊尔2015年4月25日地震峰值地面加速度数据通过空间分析识别地震影响区的潜在危险冰湖.研究表明:研究区面积0.02 km~2的冰湖有1 847个,面积263.18 km~2,其中快速变化冰湖87个,位于地震影响区的潜在危险冰湖49个,应重点关注潜在危险冰湖.     

哈纳斯湖地区地貌与湖的成因

哈纳斯湖位于阿尔泰山深处,最大水深188.5m,平均水深122.1m。横断面具典型的箱形形态,在其底部存在现代活动地堑。湖盆的成因是强烈的构造断陷加上山谷冰川的创蚀及终碛垄的堰塞。随着终绩垄被出流下切,湖泊面积变小。     

Monitoring of Bashkara Glacier lakes (Central Caucasus, Russia) and modelling of their potential outburst

Glacier lakes pose threat to downstream settlements and infrastructure. In recent decades the number and area of lakes have been growing at an accelerating rate due to worldwide glacier shrinkage. In the Russian Caucasus this process is understudied. We present results obtained during a 12-year (1999–2010) continuous field monitoring of the Bashkara proglacial lakes group, which we identified as the place with the highest GLOF risk in the region. Recession of the parent Bashkara Glacier was the main driver of the rapid expansion of the lower Lake Lapa. The upper Lake Bashkara has not been enlarging, but its water level has shown significant inter- and intra-annual fluctuations. The lake outburst probability has increased in recent years, and in 2008 we observed surface overflow over the moraine dam. Taking into account that in the late 1950s lake outbursts at this site led to large-scale glacial debris flows, we have simulated a potential outburst using River and FLO-2D software and carried out hazard zonation. An early warning system has been designed and established at Lake Bashkara, and measures to mitigate risk have been proposed. Rapid change of proglacial lakes requires regular monitoring in ‘hot spot’ areas where the GLOF hazard is high and is dynamically changing.     

Rapid changes to glaciers increased the outburst flood risk in Guangxieco Proglacial Lake in the Kangri Karpo Mountains,Southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Natural Hazards - The Kangri Karpo Mountain Range on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau frequently experiences glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). This study assessed the risk of outburst floods for...     

西藏终碛湖溃决形式研究

西藏终碛湖众多,一旦发生溃决,将造成巨大损失。冰湖溃决机制的研究对冰湖溃决预测和溃后灾害评估是十分必要的。将冰湖终碛堤视为天然堆石坝,用水力学和土力学理论研究冰湖溃决的力学机制。重点研究溢流型溃决形式和管涌型溃决形式,根据野外观测数据和前人的研究,发现溢流型溃决的溃口多呈梯形或圆弧状形,对比真实数据发现溃口顶宽与坝高的关系,并且所有冰川终碛堤都表现为局部溃决。通过实地考察、取样分析,判断光谢措终碛堤的可能渗透破坏形式。