Earth Shook for Nine Days Following Climate-Driven Mega-Tsunami

Earth Shook for Nine Days Following Climate-Driven Mega-Tsunami

A massive landslide and subsequent mega-tsunami in Greenland, triggered by the climate crisis in September 2023, caused the Earth to vibrate for nine days. This seismic event, which had never been seen before, left scientists puzzled. Earthquake sensors across the globe picked up the vibrations, but at first, nobody could figure out what caused them. Eventually, researchers discovered that global warming had led to this unprecedented disaster, showing how rapidly rising temperatures are starting to have significant planetary effects.

The incident occurred when a 1,200-meter mountain in the remote Dickson Fjord collapsed on September 16, 2023. The glacier that once supported the mountain had melted, leaving the rock face unstable. The collapse triggered a massive wave 200 meters high. As the water sloshed back and forth through the narrow fjord, it sent out seismic waves that reverberated across the planet for more than a week.

What made this event even more extraordinary is that it was the first recorded mega-tsunami in eastern Greenland. The Arctic region, known for experiencing some of the fastest global warming, has had smaller seismic events in places like western Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Norway, and Chile, but nothing like this has ever happened in this part of Greenland.

Dr. Kristian Svennevig, a researcher from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, led the investigation. He said, “At first, no one had any idea what caused this. The signal was much longer and simpler than a typical earthquake, which usually lasts minutes or hours. We didn’t know what to call it, so we labeled it a USO, an unidentified seismic object.”

The tsunami destroyed a 200-year-old Inuit site and wiped out many huts at a research station on Ella Island, about 70 kilometers away from the landslide. The station, once used by fur hunters and explorers, was vacant at the time, so no lives were lost. However, the tsunami waves reached heights of four to six meters. A tourist cruise ship with 200 passengers, stranded in nearby Alpefjord two days before the disaster, narrowly avoided the catastrophe.

Svennevig commented on the fortunate timing, saying, “It was pure luck that nothing happened to the people here. We don’t fully understand what a tsunami would do to a cruise ship, and thankfully, we didn’t have to find out.”

Dr. Stephen Hicks, a team leader from University College London, shared how baffled he was when he first saw the seismic signals. "I had never seen such a long-lasting seismic wave with just one frequency of oscillation. Usually, earthquakes have multiple rumbles and pings."

A group of 68 scientists from 40 institutions and 15 countries worked together to solve the mystery. They used a combination of seismic data, field measurements, satellite images, and advanced computer models to understand the event. According to their research, 25 million cubic meters of rock and ice crashed into the fjord and traveled over two kilometers. The fjord’s shape, with steep walls and a sharp 90-degree turn, helped keep the landslide’s energy trapped in the fjord, allowing the waves to continue resonating for days.

Interestingly, scientists had set up sensors in the fjord just two weeks before the landslide, allowing them to capture critical data. “That was pure luck as well,” Svennevig said. The scientists were unaware that the glacier and mountain were about to collapse while they were working below them.

This event has opened new avenues for research into tsunamis and landslides. Traditional tsunami models only track the waves for a few hours, but this unique, long-lasting tsunami has challenged old models, pushing scientists to use unprecedentedly high-resolution simulations.

As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists warn that such events will become more common. For the first time, this event demonstrated how climate change can cause a seismic impact that is felt globally. Seismic waves from the Greenland event reached Antarctica in less than an hour, showing how quickly the planet can respond to changes caused by human activity.

Recent studies have shown that human actions are reshaping the Earth, with polar ice melting, causing longer days and shifts in the Earth’s poles. This mega-tsunami is just one more example of the growing impact of climate change on our planet.