A recent study has revealed that a massive tsunami triggered by a landslide in Greenland caused vibrations that lasted for nine days. In September, the collapse of a 1.2-kilometer-high mountain peak led to water in the nearby fjord oscillating significantly, which created vibrations felt throughout the Earth’s crust.
The landslide was attributed to the thinning of a glacier at the mountain’s base, a process linked to climate change. Researchers involved in the study, including scientists from University College London (UCL), described the phenomenon as unprecedented.
According to Dr. Stephen Hicks, a co-author of the study, this is the first instance recorded where water movement generated seismic waves that traveled globally and persisted for several days. He noted that while seismometers can detect various terrestrial events, the specific long-lasting, single-frequency waves associated with this incident are unique.
The study emphasizes the complex relationships between atmospheric climate change, glacier destabilization, shifts in water bodies, and the Earth’s crust. To illustrate how the water splashing continued for nine days, scientists employed a mathematical model to simulate the landslide’s angle.
The model indicated that the water oscillated approximately every 90 seconds, producing vibrations felt around the globe and contributing to one of the largest tsunamis in recent times. The tsunami wave reportedly reached a height of 110 meters and extended 10 kilometers across the fjord before receding to 7 meters within minutes, as estimated in the study published in the journal Science.