Ice from a deadly avalanche is seen on July 17, 2016, in western Tibet.

(Chinese Academy of Sciences, courtesy of The Ohio State University)

At a Glance

A massive avalanche in western Tibet that killed nine people in July was probably caused by the effects of global warming, a new study found.The scientists said meltwater at the glacier's base allowed the ice to flow downhill at an unusually rapid pace.

A massive ice avalanche in western Tibet earlier this year was likely caused by climate change, according to a new study.

The findings, , revealed that the once-stable Tibetan Plateau is beginning to feel the effects of a warming planet. When 70 million tons of ice broke free from the Aru glacier and rushed into a valley, , it was probably meltwater at the base of the glacier that allowed the ice to flow downhill so quickly, the study said.

"We still don’t know exactly where the meltwater came from, but given that the average temperature at the nearest weather station has risen by about 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) over the last 50 years, it makes sense that snow and ice are melting and the resulting water ," Lonnie Thompson, a professor at Ohio State University's School of Earth Sciences, said in a statement.

(MORE: )

This before-and-after image shows the ice avalanche's slide into a valley in the Aru Range of Tibet.

(NASA)

The team that performed the study consisted of two glaciologists from Ohio State and researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They analyzed satellite data and GPS measurements, followed by studies of a computer model that replicated the avalanche. In those simulations, the scientists learned the meltwater's presence was the key factor that triggered this avalanche.

The collapse of a glacier in western Tibet has never been observed, even as other glaciers in central and eastern Tibet have melted at faster rates in recent years. In fact, some western Tibetan glaciers had been growing due to an increase in snowfall, the scientists said. But that may have created more meltwater, setting the stage for the huge avalanche, according toLide Tian, a glaciologist at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and lead author of the paper.

Another ice avalanche in virtually the same location as the July 17 slide, but the cause of that event remains under investigation, the researchers said. No deaths were reported following the September avalanche.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Earthquake and Deadly Avalanche on Mount Everest

This photo shows the scene after an avalanche triggered by a massive earthquake swept across Everest Base Camp, Nepal on Saturday, April 25, 2015. (Azim Afif via AP)