Glacier Disasters Loom as Global Temperatures Rise

On September 10, a torrent of water, rocks, and mud in a Himalayan river caused a major disaster in Nepal and China. It washed away countless homes, bridges, roads, and people, burying many under thick mud.

While scientists are still trying to determine exactly what happened, initial assessments suggest that fragments of a glacier and a portion of a nearby cliff broke off from thousands of feet above, sending a mass equivalent to 70 Great Pyramids of Giza tumbling into the valley.