Media, “experts” blame global warming for surging glaciers!
The article from Germany’s online Merkur discusses a seemingly paradoxical but dangerous phenomenon in the context of climate change: glacier “surges” (sudden advances).
Symbol image of a Karakoram glacier, generated for illustration purposes only by Grok AI.
While glaciers worldwide are said to be shrinking due to global warming, there are a number of exceptions. Some are growing suddenly at extreme speeds, extending up to 100 times faster than usual.
The reported sudden advances are said to be triggered by unstable mechanical conditions inside or at the base of the glacier. For example, meltwater can act as a lubricant, causing the ice to slide. The rapid movement can cause massive amounts of ice to become unstable and break off.
Moreover, the advancing ice masses can block valleys, causing lakes to form behind them. If these natural dams burst later, devastating flood waves hit lower-lying regions.
The focus is particularly on high mountain ranges such as the Karakoram (Asia), parts of Alaska, and Svalbard. In the Karakoram, scientists observe the “Karakoram Anomaly,” where many glaciers remain stable or are exhibiting dangerous surges despite global warming.
However, researchers emphasize that these advances are not a sign of glacial recovery or an end to global warming. On the contrary: they claim that climate change is altering glacier dynamics so significantly that such unpredictable and dangerous events may occur more frequently or intensely.
They conclude that these growing glaciers are not a reason to relax regarding climate change; instead, they represent a new, life-threatening danger for mountain regions by significantly increasing the risk of natural disasters.
“The climate change is rewriting the rules of the game: Glaciers are suddenly growing and becoming hotbeds for disasters,” writes the Merkur. “These advances are not a sign of recovery, but rather a symptom of extreme instability in the ice system.”
Experts are claiming that these glacier surges are not caused by more snow falling, but by the ice becoming so unstable that it loses its grip on the ground and “slips” forward at high speed, often leading to floods and landslides.
Just stopping by …
On a good day I can see the top of Mt. Rainier, Washington State.
Thus, the nearest glacier is about 60 miles away.
As usual the historical context is missing, so here is some.
“Glacier surges and associated ice-dammed lake outburst floods pose significant hazards in the Karakoram, where fragmented historical records show unclear trends in surge behaviour and flood frequency. Therefore, this study integrates historical archives, remote sensing data, digital elevation models (DEMs), surface velocity time series (ITS_LIVE), and ground observations to analyse the surge dynamics and associated glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) history of the Kumdan group glaciers (Chong Kumdan, Kichik Kumdan, and Aktash). Historical records cross-verified with original sources and imagery confirm 16 GLOFs since 1835, predominantly from Chong Kumdan and Kichik Kumdan, with none from Aktash, despite its surges. Chong Kumdan exhibits long active phases (7–10 years) and an ∼77-year surge cycle for its primary tributary ‘a’, with asynchronous surges in its tributary ‘b’ and the main trunk. It generated the most devastating floods, including significant events in 1835, 1926, and 1929, but the last GLOF occurred in 1934. The recent surge (2001–2010) caused the terminus to advance ∼100 m short of the Shyok River, which was therefore not dammed. Kichik Kumdan shows shorter active phases (∼2 years) with cycle lengths decreasing from 33 years (1833–1866) to 27 years (1970–1997). Its last significant GLOF occurred in 1903, with post-1970s surges failing to form stable ice dams. Aktash shows periodic surges but no GLOFs occurred due to effective subglacial drainage that prevents river blockages. We observe a decline in surge-induced GLOFs because of climate warming, which reduces mass accumulation, shortens surge cycles, and weakens ice dams. DEM analyses show recent thickening in reservoir zones of Chong Kumdan (∼22 m) and Kichik Kumdan (∼20 m) from 2015 to 2022, indicating potential future surges. These findings provide crucial insights for policymakers and local communities in managing glacier-related hazards for improved risk assessment and mitigation strategies.”
The authors imply that warming periods reduce the ice mass and dams, lowering the risk of flooding, once again warming a good thing.
Historical analysis of glacier surges and ice-dammed lake outburst floods in the Kumdan group, Karakoram
“They conclude that these growing glaciers are not a reason to relax regarding climate change;”
Governments must redouble their efforts at controlling the weather.
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