Theory 30/Glacial lake outbursts/Ratio lens
Peak Flow Is Volume Against Breach
The claim
Peak discharge is set by the ratio of lake volume to breach width, so a large lake draining through a narrow breach produces a sharper flood than a small lake through a wide one.
01Mechanism
Discharge depends on head and outlet area; the ratio sets how quickly the lake empties.
02Prediction
Peak flow should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Peak flow tracking lake volume would remove breach geometry.