Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Cordillera Blanca

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are a well-recognized hazard and risk in the Cordillera Blanca, where catastrophic GLOFs have claimed thousands of lives and caused tremendous damage in the past. With retreating glaciers, the formation and evolution of new lakes, and other geo-environmental changes, the future occurrence of GLOFs is uncertain. To understand patterns and drivers of GLOF occurrence, comprehensive inventories of past events are needed. Building on the recent GLOF inventory for the tropical Andes (based on the integration of geomorphological field work, analysis of remote sensing imagery and documentary data sources; Emmer et al. in Global and Planetary Change, 2022), we focus on 60 GLOFs which occurred in the Cordillera Blanca since the Little Ice Age. We analyze spatial and temporal patterns of GLOF occurrence and provide insights into pre-GLOF conditions, GLOF characteristics and susceptibility indicators. Furthermore, we discuss implications and lessons learned for anticipating future GLOFs and GLOF risk.