A sudden and massive landslide in Greenland’s Dickson Fjord triggered a rare and persistent tsunami that sent shockwaves around the world. The event, which lasted nine days, was detected by instruments across the globe and caused widespread destruction, including a $200,000 damage to equipment at an empty research post.
Scientists linked the signal to the fjord, where a section of mountain had vanished, creating a new scar. Fresh satellite images showed that over 25 million cubic yards of rock and ice broke loose and plunged into the fjord, generating a massive tsunami wave that reached about 650 feet high.
The impact also caused a seiche, a slow motion known as rocking from wall to wall, which pressed on the seafloor like a giant piston. Computer models later showed the surface rising and sinking in a steady rhythm, with different groups estimating it at around 8½ feet or 23-30 feet.
The mystery drew researchers from forty-one institutions and sparked an interdisciplinary and international effort to understand the phenomenon. Field teams measured fresh gouges high on the cliffs, while supercomputers recreated the avalanche’s path and the fjord’s response.
Climate change is thought to have played a role in triggering the event, as warming air and ocean water have eaten away at the natural brace of glacier ice that once buttressed the failing slope. The episode highlights rising risks as Arctic travel grows, and authorities are now reviewing early-warning options that combine satellite feeds with real-time seismic data.
This research demonstrates how advanced satellite data can finally illuminate phenomena that have eluded scientists for years, providing new insights into oceanic extremes like tsunamis, storm surges, and rogue waves.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/650-foot-mega-tsunami-sends-seismic-waves-around-world-dickson-fjord-swot-mission