160 glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) across the Tropical Andes since the Little Ice Age

• DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103722
• Publication Date: 2021-12-18T16:17:24Z
• Authors: Adam Emmer; Joanne L. Wood; Simon J. Cook; Stephan Harrison; Ryan Wilson; Alejandro Diaz-Mo...; John M. Reynolds; Juan C. Torres; Christian Yarleque; Martin Mergili; Harrinson W. Jara; Georgie Bennett; Adriana Caballero; Neil F. Glasser; Enver Melgarejo; Christian Riveros; Sarah Shannon; Efrain Turpo; Tito Tinoco; Lucas Torres; David Garay; Hilbert Villafane; Henrry Garrido; Carlos Martinez; Nebenka Apaza; Julia Araujo; Carlos Poma
• Keywords: Glacial lake

Assessing the extent to which glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are increasing in frequency modern times and whether their incidence is driven by anthropogenic climate change requires historical context. However, progress on this issue hampered incomplete GLOF inventories, especially remote mountain regions. Here, we exploit high-resolution, multi-temporal satellite aerial imagery, documentary data identify events across glacierized Cordilleras of Peru Bolivia, using a set diagnostic geomorphic features. A total 160 GLOFs from 151 individual sites characterised analysed, tripling number previously reported events. We provide statistics location, magnitude, timing characteristics these with implications for regional hazard identification assessment. Furthermore, describe several cases detail document wide range process chains associated Andean GLOFs.