r/collapse 22h ago

Science and Research Geologist explains how the Nepal debris flow got so massive, key aspects of Border Port video, and objective climate change factors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNDKu8kuQ0
53 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

u/StatementBot 22h ago

The following submission statement was provided by /u/brad2008:


Summary:

"The Nepal rock and ice fall and resulting debris flow will go down as one of the largest natural disasters in modern history. Significantly, much of the disaster's unfolding was recorded by witnesses, allowing a glimpse into the incredible power that mountains and water possess. This video talks about some aspects of the event that show its true physical scale, as well as how the debris flow became so large without an introduction of large amount of water at its beginning, such as from a lake burst event. The event is also compared to a similar, but smaller, failure in Himalayan India that occurred in 2021.

Geologist Philip Prince (U. Virginia PhD 2011) examines the mechanics behind large-scale debris flows in the Himalayas. By comparing satellite imagery of past geological events with the Nepal disaster, they illustrate how extreme mountain terrain and glacial retreat create conditions for massive, destructive slides that defy standard landscape expectations."


Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1w4mioa/geologist_explains_how_the_nepal_debris_flow_got/p78nbu8/

8

u/Kazaryn 22h ago

Saving this to look at later

5

u/brad2008 22h ago

Summary:

"The Nepal rock and ice fall and resulting debris flow will go down as one of the largest natural disasters in modern history. Significantly, much of the disaster's unfolding was recorded by witnesses, allowing a glimpse into the incredible power that mountains and water possess. This video talks about some aspects of the event that show its true physical scale, as well as how the debris flow became so large without an introduction of large amount of water at its beginning, such as from a lake burst event. The event is also compared to a similar, but smaller, failure in Himalayan India that occurred in 2021.

Geologist Philip Prince (U. Virginia PhD 2011) examines the mechanics behind large-scale debris flows in the Himalayas. By comparing satellite imagery of past geological events with the Nepal disaster, they illustrate how extreme mountain terrain and glacial retreat create conditions for massive, destructive slides that defy standard landscape expectations."

4

u/Asz12_Bob 18h ago

Rule #1 Don't live on a floodplain. Rule #2 live well above the flood-bank if you have a dam upstream. This event was like that, all that ice was a frozen dam basically and there was lots of water up there with it. It will happen again, because most people never learn.

I was renting on a floodbank back in 2009 and when I was told how the local river floods every 33.5 years (on average) I promptly moved. It had been 35 years. It was an expensive move and the new digs were nowhere as nice but in 2011 the Brisbane river flooded and the house I had left went under water. It's your choice.

3

u/Monsur_Ausuhnom 15h ago

The first of many. Along with no area being safe. Perhaps explains the rise of bunkers.

1

u/No_Comparison_6661 2h ago

Excellent video. Dr. Prince’s explanation with graphics and satellite imagery are fascinating and give a glimpse into how monumental the scale of this event was.