Review of Structural Mitigation Measures for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

Abstract

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) can pose significant threats to human life, property, and ecosystems. These flood events are strongly influenced by the retreat of glaciers and thus by climate change. Global warming is increasing the number of glacial lakes and the volume of existing ones globally, leading to an increased risk of GLOFs. The current consensus is that controlled reduction of water volume in glacial lakes can significantly reduce their susceptibility to GLOFs, which can most effectively be done through structural mitigation measures. However, research in this area is primarily focused on understanding the characteristics and processes that lead to GLOFs, assessing the hazards and risks associated with individual glacial lakes, modeling the entire chain of processes involved in GLOFs, and comprehending their impacts. Despite the above mentioned, there is a lack of systematic investigations, technical guidelines, or studies on the hydraulic dimensioning of structural measures. This paper aims to (a) investigate the existing structural mitigation measures (i. e., tunnels, channels, open cuts, and artificial dams) worldwide, (b) discuss possible scenarios for emptying glacial lakes from a hydraulic perspective, and (c) identify hydraulic areas for further investigation.