From the article: As many as 15 million people live in areas that could be flooded by a natural dam failing at a glacial lake, according to the first global analysis of the hazard.

Tom Robinson at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and his colleagues identified glacial lakes in satellite imagery. They then determined the number of people living within 50 kilometres of each lake, and within 1 kilometre of the river where water would flow in the event of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). These floods can happen when an ice or rock dam holding back a glacial lake fails, or a rock slide sends water sloshing over a natural dam.

The researchers found up to 15 million people could be affected, with 9 million in the Himalayas, 2.5 million in the Andes and 2.2 million in the Alps. More than half of the 15 million live in either India, Pakistan, Peru or China.

Outburst floods are unlikely at many glacial lakes, and the study presents a simplified view of the areas any flooding would affect, says Simon Allen at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, but he says the global view helps draw attention to vulnerable and understudied regions.

Jokulhaups destroys all creatures, artifacts, and lands, and they can't be regenerated.

It is something they had better keep an eye on, given that we keep accelerating global warming by putting out ever more greenhouse gases. Either that, or the people should move now before some of these break.

I think I would want to sell now, while the prices are still high, and move elsewhere, rather than end up in a news article about how one of these "unexpectedly" breaks in a few years.

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I got to witness a small glacier dam burst in the Wind River range of Wyoming. The amount of power released by even a small lake is unfathomable. It sounded like a 12-lane highway even from a mile away. Can’t imagine the destruction of a big glacier lake.

Oh that again. The activist have said this for decades. Any evidence?

Just like they did thousands of years ago... and you wonder where the Neanderthals went.