Earthquakes may not be primary driver of glacial lake outburst floods

Glacial lakes form when meltwater is trapped behind a dam, usually glacial ice, bedrock or a type of moraine (terminal types being an unconsolidated pile of debris at the maximum extent of the glacier). When a dam fails, the resulting sudden release of a large volume of water is known as an outburst flood, having catastrophic consequences on the environment and communities downstream. Such events are seemingly becoming more common as glaciers retreat and meltwater accumulates in larger and more numerous glacial lakes, due to climate change.