ABSTRACT Glaciated mountains remain among the most under-studied regions in the world from a phys... more ABSTRACT Glaciated mountains remain among the most under-studied regions in the world from a physical, social and climate change perspective, which complicates the development of appropriate adaptation and hazard mitigation approaches. The goal of the High Mountains Adaptation Partnership (HiMAP) project is to create conditions necessary for all the stakeholders who live in, or are dependent upon glacial watersheds, to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This article documents the origins, establishment, implementation and experiences of the HiMAP in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone in Khumbu, Nepal, from its formation in March 2012 up to August 2014. Regardless of the Partnership's success, it is clear that glacier-dominated areas of the world will continue to pose unique challenges to highland and downstream communities as they adapt to the impacts of global climate change, particularly in terms of the increasing threats of glacial lake outburst floods. Given the critical importance of glaciated landscapes to the millions of people living in cities and communities downstream, this article demonstrates that interdisciplinary climate change research approaches and applied field projects are necessary for climate change adaptation initiatives to be effective.
An interdisciplinary field investigation of historic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the ... more An interdisciplinary field investigation of historic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Kanchenjunga region of Nepal was conducted between April and May, 2019. Oral history and field measurements suggested that at least six major GLOFs have occurred in the region since 1921. A remote sensing analysis confirmed the occurrence of the six GLOFs mentioned by informants, including two smaller flood events not mentioned that had occurred at some point before 1962. A numerical simulation of the Nangama GLOF suggested that it was triggered by an ice/debris avalanche of some 800,000 m3 of material, causing a surge wave that breached the terminal moraine and released an estimated 11.2 × 106 m3 ± 1.4 × 106 m3 of water. Debris from the flood dammed the Pabuk Khola river 2 km below the lake to form what is today known as Chheche Pokhari lake. Some concern has been expressed for the possibility of a second GLOF from Nangama as the result of continued and growing landslide activity from i...
Fotografías repetidas de los glaciares de la Cordillera Blanca, tomadas por las expediciones de e... more Fotografías repetidas de los glaciares de la Cordillera Blanca, tomadas por las expediciones de escalada y cartografía de 1932, 1936 y 1939 del Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuÖAV o Asociación Alpina Alemana y Austriaca), ilustran el importante retroceso del hielo glaciar y el crecimiento de los lagos glaciares que ha ocurrido durante los últimos 80 años. A medida que las tecnologías de modelado predictivo y de teledetección se vuelven cada vez más sofisticadas, se sugiere que la fotografía repetida puede complementar estos métodos proporcionando una gama de herramientas históricas, educativas y de participación comunitaria para uso en el campo. También se sugiere que la fotografía repetida probablemente seguirá siendo un valioso método de investigación en las décadas venideras a medida que aumenta la base de datos fotográficos oblicuos y a medida que las nuevas generaciones de científicos físicos y sociales lleguen al campo en busca de una mayor comprensión del mundo ...
On April 20, 2017, a flood from the Barun River, Makalu-Barun National Park, eastern Nepal formed... more On April 20, 2017, a flood from the Barun River, Makalu-Barun National Park, eastern Nepal formed a 2-3-km-long lake at its confluence with the Arun River as a result of blockage by debris. Although the lake drained spontaneously the next day, it caused nationwide concern and triggered emergency responses. We identified the primary flood trigger as a massive rockfall from the northwest face of Saldim Peak (6388 m) which fell approximately 570 m down to the unnamed glacier above Langmale glacial lake, causing a massive dust cloud and hurricane-force winds. The impact also precipitated an avalanche, carrying blocks of rock and ice up to 5 m in diameter that plummeted a further 630 m down into Langmale glacial lake, triggering a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The flood carved steep canyons, scoured the river's riparian zone free of vegetation, and deposited sediment, debris, and boulders throughout much of the river channel from the settlement of Langmale to the settlement of Yangle Kharka about 6.5 km downstream. Peak discharge was estimated at 4400 ± 1800 m 3 s −1 , and total flood volume was estimated at 1.3 × 10 6 m 3 of water. This study highlights the importance of conducting integrated field studies of recent catastrophic events as soon as possible after they occur, in order to best understand the complexity of their triggering mechanisms, resultant impacts, and risk reduction management options.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal,... more Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal, occurred on 25 May 2015 and 12 June 2016. The most recent event was witnessed by investigators, which provided unique insights into the magnitude, source, and triggering mechanism of the flood. The field assessment and satellite imagery analysis following the event revealed that most of the flood water was stored englacially and that the flood was likely triggered by dam failure. The flood's peak discharge was estimated to be 210 m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>.
Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal,... more Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal, have occurred during the transitional early monsoon season in each of the last two years. The most recent event was witnessed by the investigators on 12 June 2016. Observations regarding the magnitude of the 2016 outburst flood and a reconstruction of the flood path immediately following the event are presented. These observations highlight the lack of existing knowledge regarding these glacier hazards and provide valuable insight to help spur future investigations.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2016
Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose a significant threat to downstream communities and infr... more Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose a significant threat to downstream communities and infrastructure due to their potential to rapidly unleash stored lake water. The most common triggers of these GLOFs are mass movement entering the lake and/or the self-destruction of the terminal moraine due to hydrostatic pressures or a buried ice core. This study initially uses previous qualitative and quantitative assessments to understand the hazards associated with eight glacial lakes in the Nepal Himalaya that are widely considered to be highly dangerous. The previous assessments yield conflicting classifications with respect to each glacial lake, which spurred the development of a new holistic, reproducible, and objective approach based solely on remotely sensed data. This remote hazard assessment analyzes mass movement entering the lake, the stability of the moraine, and lake growth in conjunction with a geometric GLOF to determine the downstream impacts such that the present and fut...
Himalaya the Journal of the Association For Nepal and Himalayan Studies, 2014
A reconnaissance of the upper Hinku valley, Makalu-Barun National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal was... more A reconnaissance of the upper Hinku valley, Makalu-Barun National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal was undertaken in May, 2007 to determine the impacts of contemporary adventure tourism upon its subalpine and alpine ecosystems. Results showed that visitor numbers, lodges, and other tourist-related infrastructure grew from one structure in 1995 to 129 in 2007. This growth was accompanied by a corresponding and accelerated harvesting of subalpine timber for lodge construction, and of shrub juniper and dwarf rhododendron for use as fuel in alpine tourist lodges. These practices were largely discontinued with the formation of the Mera Alpine Conservation Group (MACG) in 2008, which placed greater restrictions on timber harvesting, mandated the use of kerosene as a fuel substitute for alpine shrubs, and attempted to limit the number of new lodges that could be built in the valley. Repeat sampling of alpine hillslopes suggest that these actions have had significant conservation benefits. However, it is clear that the challenges of promoting high altitude conservation, and of finding renewable, sustainable energy sources alternative to alpine shrubs and kerosene, will remain for the foreseeable future. Strategies that could facilitate beneficial change in current alpine usage practices are discussed in the paper.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
ABSTRACT Glaciated mountains remain among the most under-studied regions in the world from a phys... more ABSTRACT Glaciated mountains remain among the most under-studied regions in the world from a physical, social and climate change perspective, which complicates the development of appropriate adaptation and hazard mitigation approaches. The goal of the High Mountains Adaptation Partnership (HiMAP) project is to create conditions necessary for all the stakeholders who live in, or are dependent upon glacial watersheds, to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This article documents the origins, establishment, implementation and experiences of the HiMAP in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone in Khumbu, Nepal, from its formation in March 2012 up to August 2014. Regardless of the Partnership&#39;s success, it is clear that glacier-dominated areas of the world will continue to pose unique challenges to highland and downstream communities as they adapt to the impacts of global climate change, particularly in terms of the increasing threats of glacial lake outburst floods. Given the critical importance of glaciated landscapes to the millions of people living in cities and communities downstream, this article demonstrates that interdisciplinary climate change research approaches and applied field projects are necessary for climate change adaptation initiatives to be effective.
An interdisciplinary field investigation of historic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the ... more An interdisciplinary field investigation of historic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Kanchenjunga region of Nepal was conducted between April and May, 2019. Oral history and field measurements suggested that at least six major GLOFs have occurred in the region since 1921. A remote sensing analysis confirmed the occurrence of the six GLOFs mentioned by informants, including two smaller flood events not mentioned that had occurred at some point before 1962. A numerical simulation of the Nangama GLOF suggested that it was triggered by an ice/debris avalanche of some 800,000 m3 of material, causing a surge wave that breached the terminal moraine and released an estimated 11.2 × 106 m3 ± 1.4 × 106 m3 of water. Debris from the flood dammed the Pabuk Khola river 2 km below the lake to form what is today known as Chheche Pokhari lake. Some concern has been expressed for the possibility of a second GLOF from Nangama as the result of continued and growing landslide activity from i...
Fotografías repetidas de los glaciares de la Cordillera Blanca, tomadas por las expediciones de e... more Fotografías repetidas de los glaciares de la Cordillera Blanca, tomadas por las expediciones de escalada y cartografía de 1932, 1936 y 1939 del Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein (DuÖAV o Asociación Alpina Alemana y Austriaca), ilustran el importante retroceso del hielo glaciar y el crecimiento de los lagos glaciares que ha ocurrido durante los últimos 80 años. A medida que las tecnologías de modelado predictivo y de teledetección se vuelven cada vez más sofisticadas, se sugiere que la fotografía repetida puede complementar estos métodos proporcionando una gama de herramientas históricas, educativas y de participación comunitaria para uso en el campo. También se sugiere que la fotografía repetida probablemente seguirá siendo un valioso método de investigación en las décadas venideras a medida que aumenta la base de datos fotográficos oblicuos y a medida que las nuevas generaciones de científicos físicos y sociales lleguen al campo en busca de una mayor comprensión del mundo ...
On April 20, 2017, a flood from the Barun River, Makalu-Barun National Park, eastern Nepal formed... more On April 20, 2017, a flood from the Barun River, Makalu-Barun National Park, eastern Nepal formed a 2-3-km-long lake at its confluence with the Arun River as a result of blockage by debris. Although the lake drained spontaneously the next day, it caused nationwide concern and triggered emergency responses. We identified the primary flood trigger as a massive rockfall from the northwest face of Saldim Peak (6388 m) which fell approximately 570 m down to the unnamed glacier above Langmale glacial lake, causing a massive dust cloud and hurricane-force winds. The impact also precipitated an avalanche, carrying blocks of rock and ice up to 5 m in diameter that plummeted a further 630 m down into Langmale glacial lake, triggering a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The flood carved steep canyons, scoured the river's riparian zone free of vegetation, and deposited sediment, debris, and boulders throughout much of the river channel from the settlement of Langmale to the settlement of Yangle Kharka about 6.5 km downstream. Peak discharge was estimated at 4400 ± 1800 m 3 s −1 , and total flood volume was estimated at 1.3 × 10 6 m 3 of water. This study highlights the importance of conducting integrated field studies of recent catastrophic events as soon as possible after they occur, in order to best understand the complexity of their triggering mechanisms, resultant impacts, and risk reduction management options.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal,... more Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal, occurred on 25 May 2015 and 12 June 2016. The most recent event was witnessed by investigators, which provided unique insights into the magnitude, source, and triggering mechanism of the flood. The field assessment and satellite imagery analysis following the event revealed that most of the flood water was stored englacially and that the flood was likely triggered by dam failure. The flood's peak discharge was estimated to be 210 m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>.
Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal,... more Glacier outburst floods with origins from Lhotse Glacier, located in the Everest region of Nepal, have occurred during the transitional early monsoon season in each of the last two years. The most recent event was witnessed by the investigators on 12 June 2016. Observations regarding the magnitude of the 2016 outburst flood and a reconstruction of the flood path immediately following the event are presented. These observations highlight the lack of existing knowledge regarding these glacier hazards and provide valuable insight to help spur future investigations.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2016
Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose a significant threat to downstream communities and infr... more Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose a significant threat to downstream communities and infrastructure due to their potential to rapidly unleash stored lake water. The most common triggers of these GLOFs are mass movement entering the lake and/or the self-destruction of the terminal moraine due to hydrostatic pressures or a buried ice core. This study initially uses previous qualitative and quantitative assessments to understand the hazards associated with eight glacial lakes in the Nepal Himalaya that are widely considered to be highly dangerous. The previous assessments yield conflicting classifications with respect to each glacial lake, which spurred the development of a new holistic, reproducible, and objective approach based solely on remotely sensed data. This remote hazard assessment analyzes mass movement entering the lake, the stability of the moraine, and lake growth in conjunction with a geometric GLOF to determine the downstream impacts such that the present and fut...
Himalaya the Journal of the Association For Nepal and Himalayan Studies, 2014
A reconnaissance of the upper Hinku valley, Makalu-Barun National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal was... more A reconnaissance of the upper Hinku valley, Makalu-Barun National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal was undertaken in May, 2007 to determine the impacts of contemporary adventure tourism upon its subalpine and alpine ecosystems. Results showed that visitor numbers, lodges, and other tourist-related infrastructure grew from one structure in 1995 to 129 in 2007. This growth was accompanied by a corresponding and accelerated harvesting of subalpine timber for lodge construction, and of shrub juniper and dwarf rhododendron for use as fuel in alpine tourist lodges. These practices were largely discontinued with the formation of the Mera Alpine Conservation Group (MACG) in 2008, which placed greater restrictions on timber harvesting, mandated the use of kerosene as a fuel substitute for alpine shrubs, and attempted to limit the number of new lodges that could be built in the valley. Repeat sampling of alpine hillslopes suggest that these actions have had significant conservation benefits. However, it is clear that the challenges of promoting high altitude conservation, and of finding renewable, sustainable energy sources alternative to alpine shrubs and kerosene, will remain for the foreseeable future. Strategies that could facilitate beneficial change in current alpine usage practices are discussed in the paper.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Uploads
Papers by Alton Byers