A massive rock and ice avalanche caused the 2021 disaster at Chamoli, Indian Himalaya

2021/06/10 by Dan H. Shugar, Mylène Jacquemart, David Shean +50 · 1 voice · 830 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Climate change and permafrost #Cryospheric studies and observations #Geography #Geology #Landslides and related hazards #Physical geography

paper · open access · doi:10.1126/science.abh4455

published in Science 373(6552), 300-306 (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

openalex publication_date 2021/06/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

cubic meters of rock and glacier ice collapsed from the steep north face of Ronti Peak. The rock and ice avalanche rapidly transformed into an extraordinarily large and mobile debris flow that transported boulders greater than 20 meters in diameter and scoured the valley walls up to 220 meters above the valley floor. The intersection of the hazard cascade with downvalley infrastructure resulted in a disaster, which highlights key questions about adequate monitoring and sustainable development in the Himalaya as well as other remote, high-mountain environments.

Citations

• Review of the status and mass changes of Himalayan-Karakoram glaciers

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Discussions

• I was able to work w/ a stupendous team of ~50 scientists, social scientists, policy people, & journalists, to document a major multihazards cascade involving a #landslide, #glacier, and #hydropower p [bsky, 49 points, 0 comments]

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