Greenland Landslide Triggers Mega-Tsunami and Unprecedented Seismic Event
In September 2023, a massive landslide in Greenland's Dickson Fjord triggered a colossal 650-foot mega-tsunami. The wave, generated by melting glaciers, shocked scientists around the world, but what followed was even more baffling: a mysterious seismic vibration that lasted for nine days. This phenomenon, unlike anything previously recorded, sent experts scrambling to understand its origin and implications.
The event began when a glacier, weakened by rising temperatures in the rapidly warming Arctic, thinned and destabilized a mountain towering nearly 4,000 feet above the fjord. The mountain collapsed, sending an enormous amount of rock and debris—enough to fill 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—into the water. The resulting tsunami, one of the tallest in recent history, sent waves trapped in the fjord reverberating back and forth for days, a phenomenon known as a "seiche."
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Although seiches have been observed before, this one lasted far longer than anyone expected. Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at University College London, described the event as “completely unprecedented.” Unlike the typical short bursts of seismic activity seen with earthquakes, this one continued for nine days, sending a monotonous hum across the globe. It wasn’t until scientists collaborated with researchers in Denmark, working through seismic and satellite data, that they pinpointed the source to the Dickson Fjord landslide.
This event has raised alarming concerns about the future of the Arctic, which is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. The landslide-triggered mega-tsunami, followed by the lengthy seismic activity, is a clear indicator that climate change is pushing natural systems into uncharted territory. According to scientists, as glaciers continue to melt, events like this could become more frequent, not just in Greenland, but in other fjord regions around the world, such as Alaska and Norway.
While no one was harmed by the tsunami, the consequences could have been catastrophic if ships or inhabited areas had been in the tsunami’s path. The findings emphasize the urgent need for better monitoring and early warning systems in the Arctic, a region where the impacts of climate change are being felt at an accelerating pace. This seismic event was a stark reminder that our planet is changing in ways we are only beginning to understand.
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