Picture a vast reservoir of water perched on a mountaintop, holding a volume equivalent to three times Denmark's annual water consumption. Now imagine the catastrophic effects when this massive quantity is suddenly unleashed in a flash flood.
This is precisely what occurred when Catalina Lake, a large glacial lake in eastern Greenland, released 3.4 cubic kilometers of meltwater—over 3 trillion liters—into Kangertittivaq Fjord, otherwise known as Scoresby Sound, the world’s longest fjord, stretching 217 miles in length.
This event, recorded by researchers from the University of Copenhagen between September 23 and October 11, ranks among the three largest documented glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in history. During the event, the lake’s water level plummeted by 505 feet. According to Dr. Aslak Grinsted, a climate researcher at the Niels Bohr Institute, “We’ve identified evidence of similar past floods, but due to the polar night—a phenomenon in the Arctic where the sun never rises for 24 hours—and cloud cover that obscures satellite observations, this is the first time we’ve been able to document such an event in real time, including measuring the exact volume of water released.”
The flood was triggered by decades of accumulating meltwater from snow and ice, a direct consequence of climate change. Over the past 20 years, this water-filled Catalina Lake, which is situated in a valley obstructed by the Edward Bailey Glacier. Once the lake reached capacity, the pressure from the water lifted the glacier, carving out a 15.5-mile-long subglacial tunnel. The water then burst through this channel, emptying into Kangertittivaq Fjord, the world’s longest and one of its deepest fjords, with depths exceeding 4,921 feet.
This process, where a glacial lake gradually fills and then suddenly releases its water in a violent flood, has been occurring with increasing frequency over the past three decades due to rising global temperatures. “The risks associated with such events are intensifying as the planet warms,” said Dr. Grinsted. “Developing a deeper understanding of these floods is critical for better preparing for the dangers they pose in the future.”
While glacial lake outburst floods can be devastating in densely populated regions, such as the Himalayas where they destroy entire villages and settlements, the recent event in Greenland caused minimal damage due to the country’s sparse population.
Nevertheless, research conducted last year concluded that 15 million people worldwide currently live under the threat of catastrophic floods caused by melting snow and ice. Dr. Grinsted warns, “We are likely to witness even larger glacial floods in the future, particularly as Greenland’s ice sheet continues to retreat over the coming centuries. To understand the immense forces at play, we need to observe and study these floods as they happen.”
The energy released during such events is staggering. According to Dr. Grinsted, the flood in eastern Greenland unleashed energy equivalent to the full output of the world’s largest nuclear power plant operating continuously for 22 days.
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Given the sheer magnitude of these events, Dr. Grinsted suggests exploring ways to harness the energy potential of glacial lake floods as a renewable energy source. In theory, the energy released by the Catalina Lake flood could have produced 50 megawatts of continuous electricity, enough to power a small town.
However, in this specific case, the nearest settlement lies 112 miles away and is home to just 350 residents, presenting significant technological challenges for energy utilization. “As with many other natural resources in Greenland, infrastructure is the primary obstacle,” said Dr. Grinsted. “But if an innovative engineer can figure out how to harness the energy stored in such events, it could open up new possibilities for utilizing the power and energy potential of these natural phenomena.”