A recent study has revealed that a massive tsunami triggered by a landslide in Greenland caused the Earth to vibrate for nine days. The landslide, which occurred last September when a 1.2-kilometer-high mountain peak collapsed, resulted in water splashing back and forth in the fjord below, generating vibrations that extended through the Earth’s crust.
This event was linked to the thinning of the glacier at the base of the mountain, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. Researchers from University College London (UCL) were involved in the study, which highlighted the unexpected nature of the event. Dr. Stephen Hicks, a co-author of the study, expressed that scientists were “completely baffled” by the occurrence.
Dr. Hicks noted, “This is the first time that water sloshing has been recorded as vibrations through the Earth’s crust, travelling globally and lasting for several days.” He added that while seismometers usually capture various sources on the Earth’s surface, never before had a sustained and widespread seismic wave, characterized by a single frequency of oscillation, been documented.
The study explored the impact of climate change on the structural integrity of glacier ice, the resulting movements of water, and the subsequent effects on the Earth’s crust. Researchers employed a mathematical model to recreate the landslide’s angle, demonstrating that the water splashed back and forth approximately every 90 seconds, sending vibrations throughout the planet and generating one of the largest tsunamis recorded in recent history.
The tsunami wave reached an impressive height of 110 meters (approximately 361 feet) and extended 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) across the fjord, although its height diminished to 7 meters (around 23 feet) within minutes, according to the study published in the journal Science.