Study finds ice avalanches from hanging glaciers could hit 398 buildings in Badrinath
In one line: Scientists have modelled ice avalanches from three hanging glaciers above Badrinath and found they could reach about 398 buildings.
Published 30 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
A study published online on 28 October 2026 in the journal Landslides (Springer) has modelled what would happen if ice broke off three hanging glaciers above Badrinath township in Uttarakhand's Central Himalaya. The authors, including Abhilash Gogineni, Anil V. Kulkarni and H.S. Negi, are from the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment of the DRDO in Chandigarh, and the University of Cambridge. A hanging glacier is a mass of ice clinging to a steep slope or cliff above a valley, often ending abruptly at a drop, so pieces can break away and fall as ice avalanches. The team used satellite imagery to identify the three unstable glaciers and computer models to simulate the avalanches. It found that the avalanches could reach about 398 buildings and a helipad in the town, and it calls for hazard mapping and tighter rules on construction.
The study builds on a wider inventory published in April 2026, which identified 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin covering about 71.7 sq km and holding about 2.39 cubic km of ice, of which about 0.74 cubic km is hanging ice; nearly 30% of that hanging ice lies in the Upper Alaknanda, around Badrinath. Worst-case simulations in that work produced flows about 51 m high at Badrinath. The region has seen what such failures can do: on 7 February 2021, rock and glacier ice collapsed from Ronti Peak in Chamoli district and swept down the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga valleys, leaving more than 200 people dead or missing and badly damaging two hydropower projects. Scientists stress that these are exposure scenarios, not forecasts that a collapse is imminent; the policy question is whether construction for pilgrims and tourists keeps moving into the paths such avalanches would take.
Prelims facts
- A study in the journal Landslides (online 28 October 2026) found that ice avalanches from three hanging glaciers could reach about 398 buildings in Badrinath.
- The study was by researchers from IISc's Divecha Centre for Climate Change, DRDO's Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment and the University of Cambridge.
- An April 2026 inventory found 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin, holding about 0.74 cubic km of hanging ice.
- The 7 February 2021 Chamoli disaster was a rock and ice collapse from Ronti Peak, not a glacial lake outburst flood.
Quick recall
- In which journal was the Badrinath hanging-glacier study published?
- Landslides (Springer), online on 28 October 2026.
- How many buildings could the avalanches reach, according to the Badrinath study?
- About 398.
- Name the lead authors of the Badrinath hanging-glacier study
- Abhilash Gogineni, Anil V. Kulkarni and H.S. Negi, among others.
- Area covered by the 219 hanging glaciers of the Alaknanda basin
- About 71.7 sq km.
- How many hanging glaciers did the April 2026 study find in the Alaknanda basin?
- 219.
- Hanging ice volume in the Alaknanda basin
- About 0.74 cubic km (of about 2.39 cubic km total ice).
- Date of the Chamoli rock and ice avalanche
- 7 February 2021.
- Which institutions did the Badrinath study involve?
- IISc's Divecha Centre for Climate Change, DRDO's Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment and the University of Cambridge.
Prelims practice question
Consider the following statements regarding hanging glaciers:
1. They are masses of ice on steep slopes or cliffs above a valley, often ending abruptly at a slope break.
2. Their main hazard is the sudden failure of a moraine-dammed lake.
3. A falling mass of ice from them can turn into a debris flow by picking up rock, sediment and water.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only. Statement 1 is correct: hanging glaciers sit on steep slopes above main valleys and may end at a cliff. Statement 2 is incorrect: the failure of a moraine-dammed lake is a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF); the hazard from a hanging glacier is ice breaking off as an avalanche. Statement 3 is correct: a falling mass can become a debris flow, as happened in Chamoli in 2021.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Cryosphere hazards in the Himalaya and disaster-risk reduction in fragile mountain regions
- How to use this
Cite Badrinath as an ecologically sensitive area where new infrastructure sits in hazard zones, and show how hazard mapping can guide where to build.
- A 2026 study found ice avalanches from three hanging glaciers could reach about 398 buildings and a helipad in Badrinath.
- The Chamoli disaster of 7 February 2021 damaged two hydropower projects and left over 200 dead or missing.
- Experts recommend early warning and keeping new construction out of modelled flow paths.
- How to use this
Add cryosphere hazards from warming as a specific impact of climate change on Himalayan States, using the Alaknanda and Badrinath studies.
- 219 hanging glaciers, holding about 0.74 cubic km of hanging ice, have been mapped in the Alaknanda basin alone.
- Modelled ice avalanches above Badrinath could reach about 398 buildings.
Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats.
Both deal with mass-movement hazards in the Himalaya; ice avalanches add a cryosphere cause to the slope failures this question asks about.
Mains practice question
Hanging glaciers are emerging as a major but under-studied hazard in the Himalaya. Discuss the risks they pose to Himalayan settlements and suggest measures to reduce them. (150 words)
Model answer
Hanging glaciers are ice masses on steep slopes above valleys that can break off as avalanches. A study published on 28 October 2026 found that avalanches from three such glaciers could reach about 398 buildings in Badrinath.
Risks
- Exposure: besides buildings, a helipad lies in the modelled avalanche paths.
- Scale: 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin hold about 0.74 cubic km of hanging ice.
- Cascades: ice can turn into debris flows, as at Chamoli on 7 February 2021 (over 200 dead or missing).
- Growth in runout zones: pilgrim and tourist infrastructure keeps expanding.
Measures
- Basin-wide inventory and satellite plus ground monitoring.
- Early-warning systems and evacuation drills.
- Hazard maps to restrict construction in modelled flow paths.
- Include cryosphere risks in environmental impact assessments for roads and hydropower.
Mapping and planning now costs far less than rebuilding after a collapse.
The basics
Why this matters
The Himalaya is warming, and its ice is changing in ways that put towns, roads and dams at risk. Most attention has gone to glacial lakes that can burst. A quieter danger is ice that simply falls: Hanging glaciers perched above valleys where people now live and travel in large numbers.
What makes a hanging glacier dangerous
A hanging glacier often forms when a large valley glacier retreats and leaves a smaller tributary glacier perched above the deepened main valley. Its front may end at a cliff. Warming, meltwater seeping into cracks, thawing permafrost and earthquakes can all weaken its hold. When a piece breaks off, it falls as an Ice avalanche, and on the way it can pick up rock and water.
- 1WeakeningWarming, meltwater and permafrost thaw loosen the ice on a steep slope.
- 2ReleaseA block of ice breaks away from the glacier front.
- 3AvalancheThe ice accelerates down the slope and channels.
- 4BulkingIt picks up rock, sediment and water and can become a debris flow.
- 5ImpactBuildings, roads and dams in the runout zone are hit; rivers may be dammed.
Not the same as a GLOF
A Glacial lake outburst flood starts with water: a lake held back by ice or loose rock bursts. A hanging-glacier failure starts with ice falling. The 2021 Chamoli disaster was first described as a GLOF but was in fact a rock and ice collapse.
- Starts with ice breaking off a steep slope
- Moves as an ice avalanche, may become a debris flow
- Example: Chamoli, 7 February 2021
- Starts with water held by a weak natural dam
- Moves as a sudden flood down the river
- Risk grows as lakes expand with melting
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
The story links GS1 geography (glaciers, geophysical hazards) with GS3 disaster management and the debate on infrastructure in fragile mountains, a theme UPSC asked about in 2026 Mains.
The core idea
Hanging glaciers sit on steep slopes above valleys. When ice breaks off, it falls as an Ice avalanche, which can bulk up into a debris flow, as in the Chamoli disaster of 2021. This is a different hazard from a Glacial lake outburst flood, though the two can combine.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 28 October 2026: study published online in Landslides.
- About 398 buildings and a helipad: modelled exposure in Badrinath.
- 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin; about 0.74 cubic km hanging ice.
- 7 February 2021: Chamoli disaster, over 200 dead or missing.
Where to go next
- Hanging glaciers: what they are and why they fail.
- Ice avalanche: how a falling block becomes a disaster.
- Glacial lake outburst flood: the better-known cousin hazard.
- Chamoli disaster: the 2021 event that showed the danger.
Go deeper: Can development and safety coexist in the high Himalaya?
The pressure to build. Badrinath is a major pilgrim town, and roads, hotels, helipads and parking keep expanding to serve visitors. The study found a helipad among the exposed sites, showing that new infrastructure is already in the runout zone of possible Ice avalanche paths.
The science says plan, not panic. The earlier Alaknanda inventory stresses that these are exposure scenarios, not forecasts. Not all Hanging glaciers are close to failing.
Lessons from Chamoli. The Chamoli disaster showed that a single collapse can travel far, destroy hydropower projects and kill more than 200 people. It also showed the cost of mislabelling: it was first called a Glacial lake outburst flood, yet the warning systems needed for falling ice differ from those for bursting lakes.
What experts propose. Satellite plus ground monitoring, early-warning systems, hazard maps for roads, hotels and facilities, keeping new construction out of modelled flow paths, and planned evacuation routes.
Hanging glaciers
What they are and why they fail.
In one line: A hanging glacier is a mass of ice perched on a steep slope, cliff or tributary valley above a main valley, often ending abruptly at a drop.
How they form
When a large valley glacier retreats and deepens its valley, a smaller tributary glacier can be left "hanging" high above it. Because the ice sits on a steep gradient and is partly unsupported at its front, it is more prone to sudden failure than a valley glacier.
Why they fail
Warming and ice loss, permafrost thaw that weakens the frozen ground anchoring the ice, meltwater seeping into crevasses, heavy snowfall and earthquakes can each play a part. Collapses usually result from several triggers acting together.
Why it is in the news
An April 2026 inventory found 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin, and an October 2026 study modelled three above Badrinath.
Where to go next
Ice avalanche
How a falling block becomes a disaster.
In one line: An ice avalanche is a rapid fall of ice from a glacier, which can grow into a far more destructive flow of ice, rock, mud and water.
How it behaves
The falling mass accelerates down slopes and gullies. Along the way it can pick up boulders, sediment and water and become a debris flow. It can also block a river, creating a temporary lake that may later burst as a flash flood. That is why such events are called cascading hazards.
How scientists model it
Models such as RAMMS (Rapid Mass Movement Simulation) take the volume of ice likely to break off and the shape of the terrain, and simulate how far and how fast the mass travels. Studies of the hanging glaciers above Badrinath use such simulations to map where an avalanche could reach.
Where to go next
Glacial lake outburst flood
The better-known cousin hazard.
In one line: A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is the sudden release of water from a lake held back by glacier ice or loose glacial debris (a moraine).
How it happens
As glaciers melt, lakes form at their snouts behind natural dams of ice or rock debris. Such dams are weak. Heavy rain, an earthquake, or an avalanche falling into the lake can breach the dam, sending a wall of water and debris down the valley.
How it differs from a hanging-glacier failure
A GLOF starts with water; a hanging-glacier failure starts with ice. The two can link: an ice avalanche falling into a lake can trigger a GLOF. Treating them as one hazard can lead to the wrong warning systems.
Where to go next
Chamoli disaster
The 2021 event that showed the danger.
In one line: On 7 February 2021, a collapse of rock and glacier ice from Ronti Peak in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district turned into a deadly debris flow.
What happened
The mass moved through the Ronti Gad, Rishiganga and Dhauliganga valleys as a highly mobile debris flow. Two hydropower projects were badly damaged, and more than 200 people were killed or went missing.
Why it matters
It was first described as a glacial lake outburst flood, but it was a rock and ice avalanche. That lesson shapes how scientists now study the hanging glaciers of the Alaknanda basin, including those above Badrinath, and why they call for hazard maps before more roads, hotels and dams are built in narrow valleys.
Where to go next
Take the 30 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers