Science
What is a hanging glacier?
A Swiss village is on alert. The Himalayas face the same risk.
Photo: Carsten Steger / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Explained
Ice on the edge of a cliff
A glacier that ends abruptly on a steep slope high above the valley. Pieces break off from time to time.
Randa, Switzerland
3 lakh m³
Of ice hanging on the Weisshorn
It is moving downhill by up to 20 cm a day. Precautions stay in force, officials said on 27 October.
Danger zone
Routes closed, village safe
No one is allowed in the danger zone. The residential area of Randa is not affected.
Photo: Carsten Steger / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Why now
Warming makes the ice unstable
- Meltwater at the base acts like a lubricant
- Thawing permafrost weakens the rock
- Collapses become harder to predict
India
The Himalayan connection
Hanging glaciers sit above valleys in Uttarakhand, Himachal, Ladakh and Sikkim. Researchers link the 2021 Chamoli disaster to this kind of slope failure.
Pune trekkers
Heading to the Himalayas?
- Check weather and disaster advisories
- Follow route closures
- Do not camp on river beds or under ice slopes
Read more
Hanging glaciers, explained
What the Randa alert means for the Himalayas.
Photo: Carsten Steger / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons