| Notable Glacial Lakes in the Himalayas Gurudongmar Lake: Situated at 5,430 meters in Sikkim, it feeds into the Teesta River system. Pangong Tso: A 134 km lake chain in the buffer zone between Ladakh and China. Samiti Lake: Located en route to Kanchenjunga in Sikkim, known for its scenic turquoise waters. |
- Glacial lakes are formed by retreating glaciers, which leave behind depressions filled with meltwater, often dammed by moraine, a mixture of rock debris from glacial erosion.
- These lakes, acting as natural water buffers, pose challenges for downstream communities and are vulnerable to climate-induced changes.
- Glaciers grind underlying rock, creating moraine (rock debris of various sizes).
- The blue colour of glacial lakes is due to light scattering by fine rock particles suspended in the water.
- As glaciers retreat, moraine-dammed lakes expand, increasing the risk of dam breaches.
- South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim has expanded rapidly due to warming, from 17 hectares in 1977 to 167 hectares in 2023.
- The lake’s rapid expansion and subsequent heavy rains caused a moraine dam breach, flooding the Teesta River and collapsing the Teesta III dam.
Dig Deeper: Read about the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the context of Disaster Management.
