Starting from the western face of Kali Himal, the Imja glacier flows through eastern Nepal, part of a network that ultimately feeds the Ganges. In the 1960s, meltwater began collecting at the foot of the glacier, creating Imja Tsho. A 2009 study described this lake as one of the fastest-growing in the Himalaya. Held in place by a terminal moraine, Imja Tsho threatens downstream communities with the potential for a glacial outburst flood. Dirt and debris coat these rivers of ice; like the glaciers feeding it, Imja Tsho appears dull grey-brown. The 2009 study concluded that the Imja Glacier had retreated by 34m per year from 1976 to 2000, and by 74m per year from 2000 to 2007. Imja Tsho, meanwhile, grew rapidly from roughly 48,811m3 in the 1960s to 945,662m3 by 2007
Photograph: ALI/EO-1/Nasa
The Guardian
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