What disaster happens when Lake Tibet "swells" abnormally?

While many lakes around the world are shrinking due to climate change, lakes on the Tibetan Plateau are expanding at an alarming rate.

Satellite imagery from 1994 to 2024 shows the number of lakes has increased from 4,385 to more than 6,159, while the total water surface area has expanded from 37,471 km² to 53,267 km²—a seismic change that is reshaping the landscape.

Image of the surface of lakes in Tibet. Photo: The Daily Galaxy.

Why is the lake getting bigger?

According to scientists , the main reason why Tibetan lakes are constantly "swelling" is due to increased rainfall, melting of glaciers and permafrost. Tibet is an inland basin, water has no natural outlet, causing the lake area to be strongly influenced by climate factors. The increase in global temperatures has caused the ice to melt faster, providing a huge amount of water to the lakes, causing them to continue to expand.

Several studies have shown that increased rainfall is the main driver behind the expansion of lakes in the region. Photo: The Cool Down.

Environmental hazards and human life

The unnatural expansion of lakes not only changes the landscape, but also poses a direct threat to ecosystems, infrastructure and human life. Research published in Nature Geoscience warns that by 2100, hundreds of kilometers of roads, settlements and more than 10,000 square kilometers of grasslands could be submerged. This would leave thousands of people homeless, forced to relocate and facing many difficulties in life.

Satellite images show that some lakes in the Tibetan Plateau are rapidly expanding in area. Photo: Scitech Daily.

Fangfang Yao, a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, worries: " The rapid increase in lake area is submerging homes, forcing people to relocate livestock, and increasing the risk of flash floods due to sudden glacial lake ruptures."

The changing lakes of Tibet are a clear demonstration of the devastating impact of climate change. Without timely response measures, this could become an environmental disaster with unpredictable consequences in the future!

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/tham-hoa-nao-xay-ra-khi-ho-tay-tang-phinh-to-bat-thuong-post266181.html