Articles | Volume 8, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020
Research article
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22 Sep 2020
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 22 Sep 2020

Timing of exotic, far-traveled boulder emplacement and paleo-outburst flooding in the central Himalayas

Marius L. Huber, Maarten Lupker, Sean F. Gallen, Marcus Christl, and Ananta P. Gajurel

Model code and software

bouldersforpaleohydrology M. L. Huber https://gitlab.com/mlh300/bouldersforpaleohydrology/

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Short summary
Large boulders found in two Himalayan valleys show signs of long fluvial transport (>10 km). Paleo-discharges required to mobilize these boulders exceed typical monsoon discharges. Exposure dating shows that a cluster of these boulders was emplaced ca. 5 kyr ago. This period is coeval with a weakening of the Indian monsoon and glacier retreat in the area. We, therefore, suggest that glacier lake outburst floods are likely mechanisms that can explain these exceptional transport processes.