An "inland tsunami": 15 million people at danger from catastrophic glacial lake eruptions, experts discover.

(CNN) ⸻ Glacial lakes form when pieces of glacier melt and fill the depression left behind by the glacier. Previous outbursts have killed thousands and destroyed property and infrastructure. The Cordillera Blanca in Peru is one hot spot for this type of outburst, where 15,000 people have died since 1941. Glaciers in the Andes region have melted rapidly as a result of the climate crisis, creating huge glacial lakes. North America and the European Alps don't stand out as highly vulnerable because fewer people live near them, study finds. The study could be applied to future projections "to understand where that exposure might change," expert says. A recent study found that up to half of the planet's glaciers could be lost by the end of the century. Scientists hope their research could help determine which countries are most in need of early warning systems for flooding caused by glacial melt.