Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)

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A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) is a frequently catastrophic and tragic event when the ice walls that contain a glacial lake break open and release the water from the lake into the surrounding rivers or valleys.

The resulting flash-flood of ice cold water can result in instant destruction as well as injury or death.

Dig Tsho, a glacial lake near Mount Everest in Nepal, experienced a GLOF in 1985. The entire volume of the lake (18 m deep, 1,500 m long, 300 m wide) drained in less than 6 hours, and wiped out the houses and dams downstream. Luckily the number of people killed was low, since the area was so sparsely populated. A rafter's first-hand perspective on a GLOF event was recounted in back issue of Paddler magazine (citation needed).