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Geomorphologic impacts of the glacial lake outburst flood from Lake No. 513 (Peru)

Publication at Faculty of Science |
2015

Abstract

This article deals with the 2010 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) which happened in the Chucchún Valley in the Cordillera Blanca (Peru). The volume of the ice and rock fall from Mt.

Hualcán was estimated to be about 500,000 m3 and the detachment zone was identified between 5,450 and 5,600 m a.s.l. Basic landforms and processes (e.g. stream erosion, accumulation) were characterized by field investigation (2010 and 2011) as well as the rate of deglaciation using remotely sensed data (1948, 1962, 1970 and 2010).

Two relatively independent parts of the Chucchún Valley were identified from the point of view of sediment flux: uppermost part of the catchment (4,192-3,575 m a.s.l.), where even fine-grained sediments were laid down, and the lower reaches up to the confluence (3,191-2,640 m a.s.l.), where valley bottom sediments were mobilised by the increased discharge.