tsunami
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Greenland landslide triggered global seismic event for nine days
A climate-driven landslide and mega-tsunami in Greenland in 2023 caused a seismic event that made the Earth vibrate for more than a week.
In short:
- A 1,200-meter-high mountain collapsed into Greenland's Dickson fjord, causing a tsunami with initial waves 200 meters high.
- The tsunami waves sent seismic vibrations through the Earth for nine days, a phenomenon never seen before from such an event.
- Scientists linked the collapse to melting glaciers caused by climate change, warning of more frequent landslides in the future.
Key quote:
“We can quite clearly see this event, triggered by climate change, caused a global vibration beneath all of our feet, everywhere around the world.”
— Anne Mangeney, landslide modeller at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France
Why this matters:
As Arctic regions warm, the stability of landscapes once thought secure is at risk, leading to unpredictable natural disasters. This incident shows how climate change impacts can reverberate globally, both literally and figuratively.
Learn more: Scientists warn of irreversible climate tipping points
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