Abstract ID: 3.12266 | Accepted as Poster | Poster | TBA | TBA

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) is a major glacial hazard, occurring when a vast amount of water is suddenly released from a naturally dammed proglacial lake due to overtopping or dam breaching. Central Himalaya is a hotspot for GLOFs due to rapid alpine glacier retreat and fluctuating climate patterns, casting threats to vulnerable downstream societies. Therefore, research on GLOFs is crucial for understanding the hazard-triggering mechanism and improving our ability to predict and respond to these events, ultimately protecting lives and minimizing socioeconomic damage. This study focuses on two consecutive GLOFs (2015 and 2016) from the same proglacial lake in the Yindapu region, Central Himalaya. Remote sensing data from Landsat and Sentinel-2, along with the 2-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) are used to identify possible mechanisms of the two closely occurring GLOFs, and to assess their impacts on downstream glacial lake and valley areas. The fifth generation ECMWF climate reanalysis (ERA5) is utilized for detecting regional climate signals preceding these outburst floods, providing insights into climate change as an indicator. The expected results will enhance our understanding of the cascading effects of repetitive GLOFs in the Central Himalaya, contributing to improving GLOFs early warning systems. These insights would be helpful for risk mitigation strategy development to protect communities in the remote and underprivileged glaciated mountain regions.