PERU: NASA WARNS A GLACIER IN THE ANDES COULD BREAK AWAY AND ENDANGER LOCAL COMMUNITY BUT GEOLOGISTS REMAIN SCEPTICAL
Record ID:
864087
PERU: NASA WARNS A GLACIER IN THE ANDES COULD BREAK AWAY AND ENDANGER LOCAL COMMUNITY BUT GEOLOGISTS REMAIN SCEPTICAL
- Title: PERU: NASA WARNS A GLACIER IN THE ANDES COULD BREAK AWAY AND ENDANGER LOCAL COMMUNITY BUT GEOLOGISTS REMAIN SCEPTICAL
- Date: 23rd April 2003
- Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ANALYST AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PERUVIAN CONSUMER ASSOCIATION MANUEL LUQUE, SAYING "Particularly, in the case of the snow-capped Cupi and the effect it could have is the latent danger that this glacier could have an effect on the people of Huaraz. It could fall in the Palpacocha lake and, as a result, this lake could flood the city of Huaraz with its 120,000 residents."
- Embargoed: 8th May 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ANDES MOUNTAINS, HUARAZ AND LIMA, PERU
- City:
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Environment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAESJFQHMEQJC75AHZX2704NRR2
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: NASA has warned that a glacier in the Peruvian Andes
could break off and endanger a populated community, but local
geologists remain sceptical.
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) warned that a glacier in Peru's Andes
mountains could break apart and cause an avalanche in a
populated valley but local geologists said the U.S. agency
was being alarmist.
NASA said its Terra satellite had detected an "ominous
crack" in the Cupi glacier, calling it a "potential glacial
disaster-in-the-making" near the tourist town of Huaraz, 168
miles (270 km) north of Lima.
The agency wrote that a large glacier chunk could break
off and fall into the lake, causing a flood that it said could
reach Huaraz and its tens of thousands of residents in less
than 15 minutes.
The NASA warning was splashed across the front pages of
several tabloid newspapers in Peru, reviving memories of an
earthquake and avalanche which killed about 70,000 people near
Huaraz 25 years ago.
Benjamin Arnao Morales, head of the Andean Geological
Institute and considered Peru's leading expert on glaciers,
said it is normal for Andean glaciers to have "thousands of
cracks" but inaccurate that an avalanche would reach Huaraz in
15 minutes. He said the report had alarmed the local people.
"I found out about this, analysed it and saw immediately
that what NASA said wasn't that certain because they said they
had detected a crack in a glacier that was called Palcaraju
and that could produce an avalanche and subsequently a flood,"
said Morales. "It isn't possible to detect that solely by
satellite images and to give news of this type in light of the
fact that it cannot be determined precisely that a glacier is
going to fall, nor when nor of what volume."
Morales said he had asked officials from NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory for further information.
Experts have said that NASA's intent was to show that
their instrument was able to monitor the situation and
provide useful data.
Huaraz, surrounded by the spectacular snow-capped
Cordillera Blanca mountain range, is a prime climbing and
hiking destination for both Peruvian and foreign tourists. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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