Mechanism of glacier retreat triggered by glacial lake formation

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To investigate the role of glacial lake formation in glacier retreat, we performed field study at Rhonegletscher, where a pro-glacial lake has been recently formed. Our data showed three-fold ice flow speed-up after the lake formation, resulting in significant increase in the ice thinning rate. When the ice became thinner than a threshold, glacier front got afloat and disintegrated in the lake. These observations revealed the mechanisms of glacier retreat triggered by lake formation. The research results contribute to the prediction of glacier evolution under the influence of a glacial lake.