From Stargate Wiki Climate change research |Out of universe
information| The planet's Stargate is located in a valley close
to a glacier. The atmosphere had succumb to a global warming
effect. The Atlantis expedition set up the research outpost
further up the valley closer to the glacier. At some point in
2008 Dr. Nichols had set up a research outpost on this planet to
study the effects of global warming. Some time later the glacier
on the planet breached and flooded the valley the outpost was
located. The research team was unable to make contact with
Atlantis and so Woolsey sent Sheppard's team to discover why
they had not made contact, exiting the gate underwater and
having to seek refuge from the icy waters on top of the gate,
while Col. Sheppard had to swim down and dial the Stargate. The
team was forced to wait for the gate to deactivate before they
could be retrieved by a Puddle Jumper but had to wait several
hours for the flood waters to recede before they could return to
Atlantis. (ATL: "The Shrine")