Climate change helped trigger Himalayan glacier collapse
A World Weather Attribution analysis found decades of warming, glacier thinning and permafrost thaw set the stage for a massive rock and ice collapse on Langtang Lirung on August 26. A roughly 110 million cubic meter mass plunged about 1,400 meters, released energy comparable to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, and tore loose tens of millions more cubic meters of ice and water that raced about 20 kilometers to the Nepal–China border in seven minutes and continued 200 kilometers downstream. The disaster killed more than 1,300 people, left thousands missing, caused about $5 billion in damage, and prompted Nepal to seek UN loss and damage support.
Climate-driven glacier thinning contributed to a deadly Himalayan flood
Context
A large rock avalanche and glacier collapse hit Langtang valley on August 26. Scientists linked long-term warming, glacier thinning, and permafrost thaw to the collapse. Nepal has asked the United Nations loss and damage fund for help.
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