"If the David B had anchored in Tracy Arm as planned, she and the others aboard would have been killed. A loud crash around 5:30 A.M. Alaska Time would have awoken them as the north fjord wall crumbled just in front of the retreating tongue of the South Sawyer Glacier."
"Their near miss underscores the threat to ships and local communities as retreating glaciers destabilize the landscape. But new research shows that subtle clues could help provide early warnings."
On August 10, 2025, Christine Smith and her husband experienced a near disaster when a landslide occurred near their boat in Alaska. They had anchored 50 miles from their intended location due to bad weather. Observing unusual tidal behavior, Smith contacted a seismologist for insights. Research revealed that had they anchored as planned, they would have faced a deadly wave from the collapsing fjord wall. This incident emphasizes the risks posed by retreating glaciers and the potential for early warning signs to mitigate such dangers.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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