A colossal tsunami triggered by a landslip in Greenland caused the Earth to resonate for nine consecutive days, a recent investigation has revealed.
The collapse of a 1.2km-high (0.7 miles) mountain summit last September resulted in water in the fjord underneath oscillating back and forth, generating vibrations that penetrated the Earth’s crust, according to researchers.
This event was attributed to the thinning glacier at the mountain’s base, a consequence of climate change, according to the study conducted by scientists from University College London (UCL).
The newly observed phenomenon, which originated above Dickson Fjord in eastern Greenland, left scientists “entirely perplexed,” stated Dr. Stephen Hicks, co-author of the study.
“This marks the first instance where water movement has been detected as vibrations traversing through the Earth’s crust, spreading globally and lasting for several days,” Dr. Hicks, affiliated with UCL Earth Sciences, noted.
“While we recognize that seismometers can capture a variety of events occurring on Earth’s surface, this is the first time a long-lasting, globally moving seismic wave, consisting of a singular frequency of oscillation, has been documented.
“Our analysis of this occurrence remarkably underscores the complex interrelations between atmospheric climate change, destabilization of glacier ice in the cryosphere, shifts in water bodies within the hydrosphere, and the solid crust of the Earth in the lithosphere.”
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To illustrate how the water movement persisted for nine days, researchers replicated the angle of the landslide using a mathematical model.
The analysis suggests that the water splashed back and forth every 90 seconds, transmitting vibrations throughout the Earth’s crust globally, resulting in one of the largest tsunamis witnessed in recent history.
The wave stretched 10km (7.4 miles) across the fjord and ascended to 110m into the atmosphere – but diminished to 7m within moments, as estimated by the study published in the journal Science.
