Rapid worldwide growth of glacial lakes since 1990

Glacial lakes are rapidly growing in response to climate change and glacier retreat. The role of these lakes as terrestrial storage for glacial meltwater is currently unknown and not accounted for in global sea level assessments. Here, we map glacier lakes around the world using 254,795 satellite im...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Nature climate change 2020-10, Vol.10 (10), p.939-945
Main Authors:	Shugar, Dan H, Burr, Aaron, Haritashya, Umesh K, Kargel, Jeffrey S, Scott, Watson C, Kennedy, Maureen C, Bevington, Alexandre R, Betts, Richard A, Harrison, Stephan, Strattman Katherine
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Climate change Environmental risk Floods Glacial lake outburst floods Glacial lakes Glacial periods Glacier mapping Glacier melting Glacier retreat Glaciers Global sea level Inland waters Lake size Lakes Meltwater Satellite imagery Scaling Sea level Spaceborne remote sensing Terrestrial environments Water resources Water storage
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Summary:	Glacial lakes are rapidly growing in response to climate change and glacier retreat. The role of these lakes as terrestrial storage for glacial meltwater is currently unknown and not accounted for in global sea level assessments. Here, we map glacier lakes around the world using 254,795 satellite images and use scaling relations to estimate that global glacier lake volume increased by around 48%, to 156.5 km3, between 1990 and 2018. This methodology provides a near-global database and analysis of glacial lake extent, volume and change. Over the study period, lake numbers and total area increased by 53 and 51%, respectively. Median lake size has increased 3%; however, the 95th percentile has increased by around 9%. Currently, glacial lakes hold about 0.43 mm of sea level equivalent. As glaciers continue to retreat and feed glacial lakes, the implications for glacial lake outburst floods and water resources are of considerable societal and ecological importance.Warming is increasing glacial lakes, and scaling relations show a 48% increase in volume for 1990 to 2018. All measures—area, volume, number—increased, providing water storage but also representing a potential hazard with the risk of outburst floods.
ISSN:	1758-678X 1758-6798