When mountaintop glaciers collapse, they can trigger an avalanche of ice and debris down the mountain. Such was the case for Mt. Kazbeck in Southern Russia when the Kolka Glacier collapsed on Sept. 20, 2002.

In the above image, the dark grey streak shows the gorge that was overrun by ice, rock, water and other debris from the avalanche. The avalanche plowed down the Genaldon River Valley at speeds up to 112 mph (180 kph) and buried parts of a village with a layer of ice and rock 427 feet (130 meters) thick.

Avalanches, along with other deadly natural disasters such as heat waves and floods, ((CONLINK|92|could become more common)) in mountainous regions thanks to climate change, according to a recent study. In the Alps, where temperatures have increased twice as much as the global average temperature since the late 19th century and are predicted to rise by an average of 0.54 to 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.3 to 0.5 Celsius) per decade in the next century, these threats are a real concern.

7 Ways the Earth Changes in the Blink of an Eye