"When part of a mountain in southeast Alaska slid into Tracy Arm fjord last summer, it generated a seismic signal equivalent to a magnitude 5.4 earthquake and triggered a tsunami. The wave crossed the fjord and ran more than 1,500 feet (481 meters) up the opposite wall—a height greater than that of the Empire State building—nearly a mile away."
"Despite its massive size, no one was caught in the wave because it hit around 5:30 a.m. Had it occurred a few hours later, some of the 20 or so cruise ships, boaters and kayakers that travel through the general area each day could have been in the narrow fjord—a popular sightseeing area for glaciers in the Tongass National Forest about 50 miles south of Juneau, Alaska."
"This event shows how glacier retreat can set off a chain of hazards in steep coastal landscapes...and provides opportunities to develop practical monitoring and warning systems."
A landslide in Alaska's Tracy Arm fjord generated a tsunami that ran 1,500 feet up the opposite wall, marking the second highest runup recorded. The event, equivalent to a magnitude 5.4 earthquake, occurred early in the morning, preventing casualties among the boats that frequent the area. Researchers linked the tsunami to rapid glacier retreat, emphasizing the need for monitoring systems in coastal landscapes. Eyewitness accounts from kayakers and passengers contributed to the reconstruction of the event, providing valuable lessons for those in similar regions.
Read at State of the Planet
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