Open Access

Science

, volume 387 , issue 6740

The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade

Ashim Sattar ¹

K. L. Cook ^{2, 3}

Shashi Kant Rai ⁴

E BERTHIER ⁵

S Allen ^{6, 7}

Sonam Rinzin ⁸

Maximillian van Wyk de Vries ^{9, 10}

Wilfried Haeberli ⁶

P. Kushwaha ¹¹

Daniel Shugar ¹²

A. Emmer ¹³

Umesh K. Haritashya ^{14, 15}

Holger Frey ⁶

Praful Rao ¹⁶

Kori Sanjay Kumar Gurudin ^{17, 18}

Prabhakar Rai ¹⁹

Rajeev Rajak ²⁰

Faruk Hossain ²¹

Christian Huggel ⁶

Martin Mergili ¹³

Mohd Farooq Azam ²²

Simon Gascoin ²³

Jonathan L. Carrivick ²⁴

Louie Elliot Bell ²⁵

Rakesh Kumar Ranjan ²⁰

Irfan Rashid ²⁶

A. D. KULKARNI ²⁷

D. N. Petley ²⁸

Wolfgang Schwanghart ²⁹

C. Scott Watson ³⁰

N. Islam ³¹

Moushumi Das Gupta ³²

S. Lane ³¹

Shahid Younis Bhat ²⁶

Hide authors affiliations Show authors affiliations: 32 affiliations

School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. |

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France. |

Institut des Sciences de la Terre, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France. |

⁴

Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India. |

⁵

Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse, LEGOS (CNES/CNRS/IRD/UT3), Toulouse, France. |

⁶

Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. |

⁷

Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. |

⁸

School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK. |

⁹

Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. |

¹⁰

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. |

¹¹

Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. |

¹²

Water, Sediment, Hazards, and Earth-surface Dynamics (waterSHED) Laboratory, Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. |

¹³

Institute of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. |

¹⁴

Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA. |

¹⁵

Sustainability Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA. |

¹⁶

Save The Hills, Kalimpong, West Bengal, India. |

¹⁷

Indo-Tibet Border Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Lucknow, India. |

¹⁸

Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India. |

¹⁹

Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Sikkim, Sikkim, India. |

²⁰

Department of Geology, Sikkim University, Gangtok, Sikkim, India. |

²¹

Geological Survey of Bangladesh, Segunbagicha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. |

²²

Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India. |

²³

Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO), CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD/UT3-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. |

²⁴

School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. |

²⁵

Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. |

²⁶

Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India. |

²⁷

DST Centre for Excellence in Climate Change, Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. |

²⁸

School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK. |

²⁹

Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. |

³⁰

COMET, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. |

³¹

Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. |

³²

ThePrint, New Delhi, India. |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2025-03-21

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science

scimago Q1

wos Q1

SJR: 10.416

CiteScore: 48.4

Impact factor: 45.8

ISSN: 00368075, 10959203

DOI: 10.1126/science.ads2659

Copy DOI

Abstract

On 3 October 2023, a multihazard cascade in the Sikkim Himalaya, India, was triggered by 14.7 million m ³ of frozen lateral moraine collapsing into South Lhonak Lake, generating an ~20 m tsunami-like impact wave, breaching the moraine, and draining ~50 million m ³ of water. The ensuing Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) eroded ~270 million m ³ of sediment, which overwhelmed infrastructure, including hydropower installations along the Teesta River. The physical scale and human and economic impact of this event prompts urgent reflection on the role of climate change and human activities in exacerbating such disasters. Insights into multihazard evolution are pivotal for informing policy development, enhancing Early Warning Systems (EWS), and spurring paradigm shifts in GLOF risk management strategies in the Himalaya and other mountain environments.

Found

Top-30

Journals

	1 2 3
Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing	Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 3, 7.14% Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing 3 publications, 7.14%
Natural Hazards	Natural Hazards, 3, 7.14% Natural Hazards 3 publications, 7.14%
npj Natural Hazards	npj Natural Hazards, 2, 4.76% npj Natural Hazards 2 publications, 4.76%
Water (Switzerland)	Water (Switzerland), 2, 4.76% Water (Switzerland) 2 publications, 4.76%
Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences	Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 2, 4.76% Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2 publications, 4.76%
Earth-Science Reviews	Earth-Science Reviews, 2, 4.76% Earth-Science Reviews 2 publications, 4.76%
Communications Earth & Environment	Communications Earth & Environment, 2, 4.76% Communications Earth & Environment 2 publications, 4.76%
Hydrosphere	Hydrosphere, 2, 4.76% Hydrosphere 2 publications, 4.76%
Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment	Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 1, 2.38% Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment 1 publication, 2.38%
Geo Journal	Geo Journal, 1, 2.38% Geo Journal 1 publication, 2.38%
Discover Sustainability	Discover Sustainability, 1, 2.38% Discover Sustainability 1 publication, 2.38%
Results in Earth Sciences	Results in Earth Sciences, 1, 2.38% Results in Earth Sciences 1 publication, 2.38%
Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface	Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface, 1, 2.38% Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface 1 publication, 2.38%
Remote Sensing	Remote Sensing, 1, 2.38% Remote Sensing 1 publication, 2.38%
Engineering Geology	Engineering Geology, 1, 2.38% Engineering Geology 1 publication, 2.38%
Modeling Earth Systems and Environment	Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 1, 2.38% Modeling Earth Systems and Environment 1 publication, 2.38%
Sustainable Cities and Society	Sustainable Cities and Society, 1, 2.38% Sustainable Cities and Society 1 publication, 2.38%
Knowledge-Based Systems	Knowledge-Based Systems, 1, 2.38% Knowledge-Based Systems 1 publication, 2.38%
Global and Planetary Change	Global and Planetary Change, 1, 2.38% Global and Planetary Change 1 publication, 2.38%
Geology Today	Geology Today, 1, 2.38% Geology Today 1 publication, 2.38%
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering	Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 1, 2.38% Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 1 publication, 2.38%
Energy for Sustainable Development	Energy for Sustainable Development, 1, 2.38% Energy for Sustainable Development 1 publication, 2.38%
Evolving Earth	Evolving Earth, 1, 2.38% Evolving Earth 1 publication, 2.38%
Scientific Reports	Scientific Reports, 1, 2.38% Scientific Reports 1 publication, 2.38%
Hydrological Processes	Hydrological Processes, 1, 2.38% Hydrological Processes 1 publication, 2.38%
Science Bulletin	Science Bulletin, 1, 2.38% Science Bulletin 1 publication, 2.38%
Geophysical Research Letters	Geophysical Research Letters, 1, 2.38% Geophysical Research Letters 1 publication, 2.38%
Environmental Research Letters	Environmental Research Letters, 1, 2.38% Environmental Research Letters 1 publication, 2.38%
Environmental Research Communications	Environmental Research Communications, 1, 2.38% Environmental Research Communications 1 publication, 2.38%
	1 2 3

Publishers

	2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Springer Nature	Springer Nature, 14, 33.33% Springer Nature 14 publications, 33.33%
Elsevier	Elsevier, 13, 30.95% Elsevier 13 publications, 30.95%
MDPI	MDPI, 3, 7.14% MDPI 3 publications, 7.14%
Copernicus	Copernicus, 3, 7.14% Copernicus 3 publications, 7.14%
American Geophysical Union	American Geophysical Union, 2, 4.76% American Geophysical Union 2 publications, 4.76%
Wiley	Wiley, 2, 4.76% Wiley 2 publications, 4.76%
Tsinghua University Press	Tsinghua University Press, 2, 4.76% Tsinghua University Press 2 publications, 4.76%
IOP Publishing	IOP Publishing, 2, 4.76% IOP Publishing 2 publications, 4.76%
IntechOpen	IntechOpen, 1, 2.38% IntechOpen 1 publication, 2.38%
	2 4 6 8 10 12 14

We do not take into account publications without a DOI.
Statistics recalculated weekly.

Are you a researcher?

Create a profile to get free access to personal recommendations for colleagues and new articles.

PDF

Metrics

Cite this

GOST |

Cite this

GOST Copy

Sattar A. et al. The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade // Science. 2025. Vol. 387. No. 6740.

GOST all authors (up to 50) Copy

Sattar A., Cook K. L., Rai S. K., BERTHIER E., Allen S., Rinzin S., van Wyk de Vries M., Haeberli W., Kushwaha P., Shugar D., Emmer A., Haritashya U. K., Frey H., Rao P., Gurudin K. S. K., Rai P., Rajak R., Hossain F., Huggel C., Mergili M., Azam M. F., Gascoin S., Carrivick J. L., Bell L. E., Ranjan R. K., Rashid I., KULKARNI A. D., Petley D. N., Schwanghart W., Watson C. S., Islam N., Gupta M. D., Lane S., Bhat S. Y. The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade // Science. 2025. Vol. 387. No. 6740.

RIS |

Cite this

RIS Copy

TY - JOUR

DO - 10.1126/science.ads2659

UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads2659

TI - The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade

T2 - Science

AU - Sattar, Ashim

AU - Cook, K. L.

AU - Rai, Shashi Kant

AU - BERTHIER, E

AU - Allen, S

AU - Rinzin, Sonam

AU - van Wyk de Vries, Maximillian

AU - Haeberli, Wilfried

AU - Kushwaha, P.

AU - Shugar, Daniel

AU - Emmer, A.

AU - Haritashya, Umesh K.

AU - Frey, Holger

AU - Rao, Praful

AU - Gurudin, Kori Sanjay Kumar

AU - Rai, Prabhakar

AU - Rajak, Rajeev

AU - Hossain, Faruk

AU - Huggel, Christian

AU - Mergili, Martin

AU - Azam, Mohd Farooq

AU - Gascoin, Simon

AU - Carrivick, Jonathan L.

AU - Bell, Louie Elliot

AU - Ranjan, Rakesh Kumar

AU - Rashid, Irfan

AU - KULKARNI, A. D.

AU - Petley, D. N.

AU - Schwanghart, Wolfgang

AU - Watson, C. Scott

AU - Islam, N.

AU - Gupta, Moushumi Das

AU - Lane, S.

AU - Bhat, Shahid Younis

PY - 2025

DA - 2025/03/21

PB - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

IS - 6740

VL - 387

SN - 0036-8075

SN - 1095-9203

ER -

BibTex

Cite this

BibTex (up to 50 authors) Copy

@article{2025_Sattar,

author = {Ashim Sattar and K. L. Cook and Shashi Kant Rai and E BERTHIER and S Allen and Sonam Rinzin and Maximillian van Wyk de Vries and Wilfried Haeberli and P. Kushwaha and Daniel Shugar and A. Emmer and Umesh K. Haritashya and Holger Frey and Praful Rao and Kori Sanjay Kumar Gurudin and Prabhakar Rai and Rajeev Rajak and Faruk Hossain and Christian Huggel and Martin Mergili and Mohd Farooq Azam and Simon Gascoin and Jonathan L. Carrivick and Louie Elliot Bell and Rakesh Kumar Ranjan and Irfan Rashid and A. D. KULKARNI and D. N. Petley and Wolfgang Schwanghart and C. Scott Watson and N. Islam and Moushumi Das Gupta and S. Lane and Shahid Younis Bhat},

title = {The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade},

journal = {Science},

year = {2025},

volume = {387},

publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)},

month = {mar},

url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads2659},

number = {6740},

doi = {10.1126/science.ads2659}

}

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Journal

Science

scimago Q1

wos Q1

SJR

10.416

CiteScore

48.4

Impact factor

45.8

ISSN

00368075 (Print)

10959203 (Electronic)

Profiles