Melting Greenland Glaciers Could Trigger Megatsunami: Scientists Sound Alarm

Climatologists warn of the threat of megatsunamis hundreds of metres high, which could cause melting of glaciers in Greenland and large-scale landslides.

This is reported in a scientific article in the journal The Seismic Record, The Guardian reports.

Almost a year ago, a megatsunami hit the east coast of Greenland, causing a large landslide in the narrow Dixon Bay (fjord). The wave reached 200 metres in height. The military base located in this region was completely destroyed.

The tsunami had an interesting feature - after it, a so-called standing wave appeared in the narrow fjord, which did not disappear and continued to swing back and forth for several days.

Researcher Angela Carrillo Ponce analysed data from seismic stations located more than 5,000 km from the site and found that these waves continued to exist long after the landslide occurred on 16 September 2023.

Using satellite imagery and computer models, Angela and her colleagues confirmed that the wave was approximately one metre high and lasted for over a week.

Scientists warn that climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers and permafrost in Greenland, which increases the risk of landslides and such megatsunamis in the future.

In recent years, there have already been several such incidents. For example, in 2017, a rockfall in the Karrat Fjord in western Greenland caused a tsunami that flooded the village of Nugaatsiak, destroying 11 homes and killing four people.

Researchers from Rice University (USA) are working on a project to create a list of glaciers that are disappearing due to global warming. This is done in order to track the number of ice sheets affected by climate change.