Heavy rainfall could make glacier surges more frequent

Heavy rainfall can push a glacier in Alaska to more than double its speed for a short time, according to new research. Rainfall can accelerate the glacier's movement by as much as 251%, the study found. Scientists from Boise State University studied Sít’ Kusá, also known as Turner Glacier, and found that rainfall often triggers sudden surges in its movement.

The research is published in the journal The Cryosphere.Glacier movementsMost people think of glaciers as slow, heavy masses of ice that shape valleys over thousands of years. While that is usually true, occasionally, a glacier surges and moves many times faster than normal. Such surges can cause significant damage.

They can gouge out valleys, split the surface into deep cracks and block side valleys.