= Glacial lake outburst flood
= Jökulhlaup
{synonym}
A <glacial lake outburst flood> is rapid release of <water> stored in or behind glacial <ice> or its associated dam. Melt-driven enlargement of a subglacial channel can create <positive feedback> between discharge, <frictional heating> and further channel opening. Lake depletion and pressure-dependent <material creep> closure then alter the event. Channel models explain one mechanism and should not be taken as a universal description of every glacial flood.
Back to article page