Researchers at Denmark’s University of Copenhagen have recorded in real time one of the largest glacial floods in Greenland, which took place between 23rd September and 11th October 2024.
During this period, the gigantic glacial lake in East Greenland, Catalina Lake, flooded, releasing 3.4 cubic kilometers of water into Scoresby Sound fjord, making it one of the largest floods ever recorded in the country.
Aslak Grinsted, Associate Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute and climate scientist, explained, “We have previously found traces of similar outburst floods, but due to polar night and clouds obstructing the potential for satellite observations, this is the first time that researchers have been able to monitor an event and measure the water volumes in real-time.”
“The danger from glacier-dammed lakes is increasing due to global warming. It’s vital to improve our understanding of this phenomenon to issue timely warnings should there be an imminent risk,” further commented Grinsted.
Grinsted also noted, “A 2023 study concluded that 15 million people worldwide live under the threat of deadly glacial floods.” However, no one in Greenland was injured during this incident.