2007 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 1-24
Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have often caused severe disasters in Bhutan. Research groups including the present author conducted risk assessment of GLOFs in 1998 and 2002 in the northwestern and northern areas in Bhutan. These results and analyses of satellite images indicate that the most dangerous glacial lakes are likely to be moraine-dammed lakes with a large amount of lake water. In general, glacial lakes started as the scattered small supraglacial lakes, and develop a connected large supraglacial lake, and then a frontal dead-ice dammed lake, and finally a moraine-dammed lake. To conduct valid assessment of GLOF, quantitative researches on glacial lakes, moraine dams, and surroundings of lakes and glaciers are required. Dangerous glacial lakes at present are as follows: Thorthomi Glacial Lake in eastern Lunana, glacial lakes in the upper basins of Monde Chu, and those in the upper basins of Kuri Chu, which are located in Tibet on the southern slopes of Kula Kangri. Japanese geographers can assist scientists and officials in Bhutan providing satellite information for monitoring, supporting field researches, and intermediating between Bhutan and China for the research in the Kuri Chu basin in Tibet.
