Melting Snow and Ice Are Triggering Landslides and Mega-Waves — And More Are Coming

The ground beneath our feet is becoming more unstable, and scientists say global heating is the cause. As temperatures rise, the relationship between climate and geology is growing more visible. Last week’s deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are the latest reminder. But the danger is not limited to the Himalayas. In Alaska, the Andes, Greenland, and possibly the Alps, similar chain reactions are waiting to be triggered. Scientists call this part of the Earth the “geosphere” — the rocks, soil, and land that make up the planet’s surface. For years, many people did not think climate change could affect it. But the evidence is now clear. In 2021, a massive flood tore through mountain valleys in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. It severely damaged two hydroelectric power plants and killed around 200 people. In August 2025, a huge landslide in an Alaskan fjord created a wave 500 metres high. The area is often visited by cruise ships. A few months earlier, part of a glacier collapsed in Switzerland’s Valais canton. The resulting torrent of debris destroyed and buried most of the village of Blatten, which had already been evacuated. These events are not random. They are part of a pattern. As snow and ice melt faster, slopes become unstable. Water moves in new ways. Land that was once frozen or supported by ice can suddenly give way. Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, warns that more disasters are likely. He is the author of *The Fate of the World – a History and Future of the Climate Crisis*. The message is simple: what happened in Nepal and Tibet is not an isolated tragedy. It is a warning for the whole world.