Glacial Lake Formation and Global Warming

• Glaciers are dense ice bodies that erode the land beneath, forming moraine.

• Moraine is deposited on the sides and at the terminus of the glacier.

• When a glacier retreats, the cavernous hole fills with water, serving as a natural dam for creating a lake.

• Glacial lakes act as hydrological buffers, checking the natural flow of water from melting ice.

• They can cause hardships to communities downstream.

• The blue color of glacier lakes is due to the scattering of light by ultra-fine particles of rock flour.

• Examples include Gurudongmar Lake in Northern Sikkim, Pangong Tso in Ladakh, and Samiti Lake in Sikkim.

• Global warming leads to glacier retreat, increasing the chances of breaching moraine barriers.

• South Lhonak Lake, a glacial lake fed by three glaciers, has shown the consequences of rising temperatures.

• A major breach could lead to a discharge of over 12,000 cubic meters of water per second, posing a threat to downstream human settlements.