Tsho Rolpa

Tsho Rolpa
Cho Rolpa
Location of the lake in Nepal.
Location of the lake in Nepal.
Tsho Rolpa
LocationRolwaling Valley, Dolakha District,[1] Nepal
Coordinates27°52′N 86°28′E / 27.867°N 86.467°E / 27.867; 86.467
Typeglacial lake
Primary inflowsTrakarding glacier
Primary outflowsRolwaling and Tamakoshi rivers
Max. length3.45 kilometres (2.14 mi)[1]
Max. width0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi)[1]
Surface area1.537 square kilometres (0.593 sq mi)[1]
Average depth55 metres (180 ft)
Max. depth135 metres (443 ft)[2]
Water volume85,940,000 cubic metres (3.035×109 cu ft)[1]
Surface elevation4,580 metres (15,030 ft)
Map

Tsho Rolpa (also Cho Rolpa) is one of the biggest glacial lakes in Nepal. The lake, which is located at an altitude of 4,580 metres (15,030 ft) in the Rolwaling Valley, Dolakha District, has grown considerably over the last 50 years due to glacial melting in the Himalayas.[1][2][3]

Tsho Rolpa (also Cho Rolpa)

Flooding

Further information: Glacial lake outburst flood

The lake threatens to burst through its unstable dam, which would threaten the lives and livestock of over 6000 villagers living around the Tamakoshi River.[3][4] In 2012, the UNDP reported that an early warning system installed by the authorities in the late 1990s, which became defunct through lack of maintenance, will be replaced by a more modern warning system for glacial floods from the lake.[5][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Shrestha, Badri Bhakta; Nakagawa, Hajime (March 2014), "Assessment of potential outburst floods from the Tsho Rolpa glacial lake in Nepal", Natural Hazards, 71 (1), Dordrecht: Springer Science: 913–936, doi:10.1007/s11069-013-0940-3, ISSN 0921-030X, S2CID 129378191
  2. ^ a b Badri Shrestha; Hajime Nakagawa; Kenji Kawaike; Hao Zhang (2012). "Glacial and Sediment Hazards in the Rolwaling Valley, Nepal". International Journal of Erosion Control Engineering. 5 (2): 123–133. doi:10.13101/ijece.5.123. S2CID 128764855. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b Melting Himalayan Glaciers May Doom Towns National Geographic 7 May 2002, retrieved on 21 November 2010
  4. ^ a b Tsho Rolpa to get early warning system The Himalayan Times 23 May 2012, accessed 9 January 2013
  5. ^ Chho-Rolpa warning sirens lying defunct Archived 2012-03-08 at the Wayback Machine The Himalayan Times 13 June 2010, accessed 21 November 2010