Why this year’s record glacial outburst flood likely won’t be Juneau’s worst (Via KTOOpubmedia)
Suicide Basin, the birthplace of Juneau’s annual glacial outburst floods, sits about two miles above the terminus of Mendenhall Glacier. On Aug. 5, 2023, nearly 13 billions gallons of water drained from the basin, triggering the most destructive glacial outburst flood in Juneau’s history
Before the flood, this valley had been filled to the brim with 13 billion gallons of water. Now it was empty. There were just a few gray-green pools of meltwater at the bottom. But dark high-water marks stained the rock face more than 1,000 feet up, evidence of the water that had accumulated here for months before emptying suddenly.The basin drains like this every year. The glacier, which blocks its mouth, acts as a dam. Throughout the spring and summer, the basin fills with rain and meltwater until the water builds enough pressure to crack through the ice.
By doing repeated drone flights, researchers can build a 3D model to estimate the volume of water held in Suicide Basin. The basin is almost entirely empty after the flood on Saturday, August 5th, 2023 with just a few remaining pools of meltwater at the bottom At the same time, the calving from the glacier’s face may have allowed the basin to get wider, therefore holding more water. That means there’s both more meltwater and more space to store that water. That’s one theory about why this year’s flood was so much bigger.
Beneath that ice, he said, water is always flowing. Even if the basin’s volume stayed constant, the way the water gets out could change — and that’s just as important for knowing how bad a flood will be.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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