A massive rock and ice avalanche caused the 2021 disaster at Chamoli, Indian Himalaya
In a new publication in the journal Science, the authors "...leveraged multiple types of remote sensing data, eyewitness videos, numerical modeling, seismic data, and reconnaissance field observations in a collaborative, global effort to understand this event."
Immediately after the event, a large number of scientists combined all their expertise in satellite image analysis, seismic analysis, modelling and field surveys to explain how an unfortunate mixture of rock and glacier ice turned into a deadly, highly mobile debris flow killing over 200 people. The disaster that happened in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India might be seen as a precursor for an increase of such events due to changes in the geomorphological sensitivity making frozen high-mountain slopes particularly sensitive to climate change. The study also highlights the risk associated with expanding human infrastructure into increasingly unstable territory.
By D. H. Shugar, M. Jacquemart, D. Shean, S. Bhushan, K. Upadhyay, A. Sattar, W. Schwanghart, S. McBride, M. Van Wyk de Vries, M. Mergili, A. Emmer, C. Deschamps-Berger, M. McDonnell, R. Bhambri, S. Allen, E. Berthier, J. L. Carrivick, J. J. Clague, M. Dokukin, S. A. Dunning, H. Frey, S. Gascoin, U. K. Haritashya, C. Huggel, A. Kääb, J. S. Kargel, J. L. Kavanaugh, P. Lacroix, D. Petley, S. Rupper, M. F. Azam, S. J. Cook, A. P. Dimri, M. Eriksson, D. Farinotti, J. Fiddes, K. R. Gnyawali, S. Harrison, M. Jha, M. Koppes, A. Kumar, S. Leinss, U. Majeed, S. Mal, A. Muhuri, J. Noetzli, F. Paul, I. Rashid, K. Sain, J. Steiner, F. Ugalde, C. S. Watson, M. J. Westoby
Published Online 10 Jun 2021
DOI: 10.1126/science.abh4455