A recent study has revealed that a mega-tsunami triggered by a landslide in Greenland caused the Earth to vibrate for an astonishing nine days. The collapse of a mountain peak measuring 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) high last September resulted in water in the fjord below creating significant splashes, which generated vibrations that resonated through the Earth’s crust. Researchers attributed this phenomenon to the thinning of the glacier at the mountain’s base, a consequence of climate change, with participation from scientists at University College London (UCL).
The event, which originated above Dickson Fjord in eastern Greenland, left researchers perplexed, according to co-author Dr. Stephen Hicks. He stated, “This is the first time that water sloshing has been recorded as vibrations through the Earth’s crust, travelling globally and lasting several days.” Dr. Hicks noted that although seismometers can capture various surface events, such long-lasting seismic waves with a single oscillation frequency had never been documented before.
The study emphasizes the complex interrelationships between atmospheric climate change, the destabilization of glacial ice, shifts in water bodies, and the Earth’s solid crust. To illustrate the prolonged water splashing, researchers employed a mathematical model to simulate the landslide’s angle, suggesting that water splashed back and forth every 90 seconds. This motion caused vibrations throughout the Earth, producing one of the largest tsunamis in recent memory.
The tsunami wave reached a height of 110 meters and spanned 10 kilometers (7.4 miles) across the fjord but quickly diminished to 7 meters within minutes, according to estimates published in the journal Science.