Melting glaciers could form over 56,000 new lakes, raising flood risks globally

A new study published in Nature Communications warns that glacial melt could create more than 56,000 new lakes across the planet. Researchers from Sweden, the US, Switzerland, and Norway conducted the analysis by mapping the terrain beneath all of Earth's glaciers. Their findings reveal that as ice retreats, vast depressions left behind are likely to fill with meltwater, forming new bodies of water. The study identifies regions including Asia, the Andes, Alaska, and the Arctic as areas facing heightened flood risk as a result.