Barrier Lake

Barrier Lake Latest News

The newly formed barrier lake on the Nepal-Tibet border poses an immediate, catastrophic threat to Nepal. 

About Barrier Lake

A barrier lake is more commonly known as a landslide dam or lake.

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Formation of Barrier Lake

• It is created in a river valley when landslide debris completely blocks a stream or river.
• The displaced material effectively becomes a natural dam, trapping water upstream and creating a temporary reservoir.
• It is commonly formed in places with high, steep mountains and narrow river valleys that witness activity such as rock, soil and mud avalanches, slides, or flows. 
• This instantly plugs the river flow. Water rapidly accumulates behind this natural blockage.
• As water pressure mounts, the loose debris dam can erode or suddenly collapse.
• This triggers the lake burst, sending a catastrophic wall of water downstream.
• The timescale of a breach can vary from days to even decades after the formation of a dam.

Impact of Barrier Lake Failure

• A failure of the dam can potentially release millions of cubic metres of water in a short period, causing catastrophic flooding downstream.
• This flooding can carry debris and also create secondary landslides downstream, compounding its effect. 

Source: IE