A significant mega-tsunami triggered by a landslide in Greenland has been found to cause the Earth to vibrate for a remarkable nine days, according to a new study. Last September, a mountain peak standing 1.2 kilometers high collapsed, leading to violent water movement in the fjord below that sent vibrations throughout the Earth’s crust.
The study, involving researchers from University College London (UCL), attributes the landslide to the thinning of a glacier at the mountain’s base, a consequence of climate change. This unusual event, which began above Dickson Fjord in eastern Greenland, has left scientists puzzled, according to co-author Dr. Stephen Hicks.
Dr. Hicks commented, “This is the first instance of water sloshing being documented as vibrations traversing the Earth’s crust, propagating globally and persisting for several days.” He highlighted that although seismometers typically capture a variety of surface events, this particular phenomenon represents a uniquely long-lasting, globally traveling seismic wave exhibiting a single frequency of oscillation.
The researchers used a mathematical model to illustrate how the water’s movement continued for nine days. Their findings suggest that the water splashed back and forth every 90 seconds, generating vibrations that reverberated across the planet and causing one of the largest tsunamis in recent memory.
The tsunami wave spread 10 kilometers across the fjord and surged to a height of 110 meters, although it diminished to 7 meters within minutes, as estimated in the study published in the journal Science.