Glacial lake flood hits Juneau, Alaska, reflecting a growing global risk as mountain glaciers melt

Spiked peaks of ice come together to create a large glacier floating on the surface of still, icy water.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Each summer in the mountains above Juneau, Alaska, meltwater from the massive Mendenhall Glacier flows into mountain lakes and into the Mendenhall River, which runs through town.