Glacial lakes continue to expand
Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory shows a glacial lake in the Himalayas that has nearly doubled in size over the last 30 years.
As mountain glaciers melt, lakes form and expand over time. This particular lake lies at the foot of the Kokthang Glacier, which is located on the south side of the world’s third tallest mountain – the Kanchenjunga Massif.
According to Mauri Pelto, a glaciologist at Nichols College, the lake grew from 2,600 feet in length in 1988 to 5,200 feet by 2017.
“This lake growth is not unusual at all in recent decades in the area,” said Pelto. “Just in that little tiny region, there have been a dozens of new lakes filling formerly glacier filled valleys and fed from melting glaciers.”
The false-color image was captured in November of 2018 by Landsat 8.
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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer
Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
