A massive tsunami triggered by a landslide in Greenland caused the Earth to resonate for nine days, according to a recent study. The landslide, which occurred last September when a 1.2-kilometer-high (0.7-mile) mountain peak collapsed, caused water in the nearby fjord to surge back and forth, resulting in vibrations throughout the Earth’s crust.
Researchers attribute the landslide to the thinning of the glacier at the mountain’s base, a phenomenon linked to climate change. The study, which involved scientists from University College London (UCL), revealed that this unusual event originated above Dickson Fjord in eastern Greenland, leaving scientists puzzled.
“This is the first time that we have recorded water sloshing creating vibrations that traveled through the Earth’s crust globally and persisted for several days,” said Dr. Stephen Hicks, a co-author of the study based at UCL Earth Sciences.
Dr. Hicks noted that while seismometers are capable of detecting various sources of activity on the Earth’s surface, this particular occurrence is unprecedented due to its duration and the singular frequency of the seismic waves recorded.
The study underscores the complex connections between atmospheric climate change, the destabilization of glacier ice, movements of water bodies, and the Earth’s solid crust. To illustrate how the water movements lasted for nine days, researchers utilized a mathematical model to replicate the landslide’s angle, indicating that the water splashed back and forth every 90 seconds.
This action sent vibrations throughout the Earth’s crust globally, resulting in one of the largest tsunamis in recent years. The wave initially extended 10 kilometers (7.4 miles) across the fjord and reached a height of 110 meters but quickly diminished to 7 meters within minutes, according to the study published in the journal Science.