Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF)
During a period of glacier recession, back from a terminal moraine, a lake may form. This lake is impounded by an unstable pile of debris and buried ice. Catastrophic failure of the moraine will result in a devastating flood. Usually associated with high mountain regions such as the Andes and Himalaya.
Potentially hazardous moraine-dammed lake, which has grown within a decade, associated with Imja Glacier, Khumbu Himal, Nepal,. Photo M. J. Hambrey, 2004.