Lake Palcacocha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Palcacocha |
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2002
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 Lake Palcacocha
Location in Peru
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| Location | Ancash Region |
| Coordinates | 9°23′49″S 77°22′47″W / 9.39694°S 77.37972°W |
| Basin countries | Peru |
| Surface elevation | 4,566 m (14,980 ft) |
Lake Palcacocha is a beautiful glacier lake high up in the Andes mountains of South America. It's located in northwestern Peru, in a place called the Ancash Region. The name "Palcacocha" might come from the Quechua words for "forked" and "lake". This lake is important because it supplies water to the nearby city of Huaraz.
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Where is Lake Palcacocha?
Lake Palcacocha is found in the Ancash Region of Peru, within the Cordillera Blanca mountain range. It sits at a very high elevation of about 4,566 meters (14,980 feet) above sea level. You can find it just below the tall peaks of Palcaraju and Pucaranra. The lake is about 23 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of the city of Huaraz. It is one of the main sources of water for the people living there.
The 1941 Flood Disaster
On December 13, 1941, a terrible event happened at Lake Palcacocha. A huge piece of the glacier next to the lake, or a large avalanche, fell into the water. This caused the natural walls of rock and dirt (called moraines) that held the lake back to break.
A massive wave of water, ice, rocks, and mud rushed down the valley. It destroyed another lake, Lake Jiracocha, on its way. Within just 15 minutes, this powerful mudslide reached the city of Huaraz. It buried parts of the town and sadly killed many people, estimated to be between 1,800 and 7,000.
After this disaster, the lake's size became much smaller. To prevent future floods, special drainage systems were built in 1974. These systems help keep the water level lower. However, due to global warming, the glacier near the lake has been melting faster. This has caused the lake's water volume to increase a lot since the 1941 flood. By 2009, its volume was about 17 million cubic meters.
New Challenges and Safety Measures
The amount of water in Lake Palcacocha has grown a lot in recent years. A study by the University of Texas at Austin showed that the city of Huaraz is at a high risk of flooding from the lake. Since 1970, the lake's volume has increased 34 times! This has led to several "states of emergency" being declared.
At the same time, the population of Huaraz has grown from 25,000 in 1941 to around 100,000 people today. Many of these people live in the same areas that were flooded before.
In 2010, experts suggested lowering the lake's water level by 15 meters to reduce the flood risk. In 2011, six drainpipes were installed. By July 2013, these pipes had helped reduce the water level by three meters. Work continues to make the lake safer for the people of Huaraz.
Global Responsibility for Climate Change
In March 2015, a citizen from Huaraz named Saúl Luciano Lliuya brought worldwide attention to the situation at Lake Palcacocha. He sent a letter to a large German energy company called RWE. He argued that RWE had contributed to global climate change through its operations. Because of this, he believed RWE should help pay for the costs of reducing the flood risk at the lake.
RWE responded that his claim had no legal basis. However, Saúl Luciano Lliuya took his case to court. In 2018, the case moved forward to a stage where experts would gather evidence. This decision was very important because it suggested that private companies that contribute to climate change could be held partly responsible for damages linked to it. Experts are now studying the flood risk at Lake Palcacocha and how human-caused warming has made the lake levels rise.
Images for kids
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Palcacocha in 2001
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Palcacocha in 2003
See also
In Spanish: Palcacocha para niños
