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Sustainability Times
12-06-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Unprecedented Natural Disaster Strikes': A 650-Foot Mega-Tsunami Sends Seismic Waves Circling the Globe
IN A NUTSHELL 🌊 On September 16, 2023, a massive landslide in Greenland's Dickson Fjord unleashed a 650-foot mega-tsunami , creating a global seismic event. , creating a global seismic event. 🛰️ Advanced satellite technology, like the SWOT mission , is enhancing our ability to study remote regions and understand oceanic processes. , is enhancing our ability to study remote regions and understand oceanic processes. 🌡️ The event underscores the impact of climate change , as warming air and ocean waters destabilize natural barriers, increasing the risk of such occurrences. , as warming air and ocean waters destabilize natural barriers, increasing the risk of such occurrences. 🤝 Over seventy researchers from forty-one institutions collaborated internationally to piece together this seismic puzzle, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary efforts. The serene and isolated landscapes of Greenland's eastern edge were thrust into the global spotlight when a peculiar event sent seismic ripples across the world. For nine days, scientific instruments detected a rhythmic pulse originating from Dickson Fjord, a remote inlet where a colossal landslide had triggered a series of extraordinary events. This phenomenon, marked by its unique seismic signature, has driven experts from around the globe to unravel the mysteries behind it. As researchers delve into the incident, they are uncovering valuable insights into the natural processes that can lead to such dramatic occurrences. Mountain Falls, Dickson Fjord Rises On September 16, 2023, a massive landslide occurred in Greenland's Dickson Fjord, where over 25 million cubic yards of rock and ice plummeted into the narrow inlet. This immense volume is comparable to filling 10,000 Olympic-size pools. The impact of such a colossal mass striking the water generated a mega-tsunami wave that reached astonishing heights of 650 feet. The wave traveled swiftly down the fjord, causing destruction and chaos. As the wave surged through the fjord, it bounced off the headland and returned with tremendous force, causing approximately $200,000 in damages to research equipment on Ella Island. However, the water did not settle after the initial impact. Instead, it began a repeated motion known as a seiche, where the water level oscillated by about 30 feet. This continuous rocking motion pressed on the seafloor like a giant piston, creating a rhythmic pulse that reverberated globally. Not China, Not Egypt: This Colossal European Megastructure Is the Largest Man-Made Wonder Visible From Space Unusual Heartbeat in the Crust The seismic response to this event was unprecedented. Unlike typical earthquakes that produce frantic seismic scribbles, the trace formed smooth peaks spaced 92 seconds apart. This signature persisted for nearly two weeks, marking the first time a seiche had produced such a consistent global signal. Different modeling groups studied the phenomenon, estimating the water's oscillation at between 8½ and 30 feet. Despite differing assumptions, they agreed the landslide-driven wave was the source. Alice Gabriel from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography acknowledged the challenges of accurately simulating such a long-lasting phenomenon. The event's persistence and global impact highlighted the complexity of the forces at play and the need for sophisticated models to understand these unique seismic signatures. 'Radioactive Dust From the Desert': Nuclear-Contaminated Saharan Sand Rains Down on France, Shocking Scientists and Alarming the Public Investigators Follow the Clues The mystery attracted over seventy researchers from forty-one institutions worldwide, each eager to understand the event's origin. Kristian Svennevig of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland noted the initial confusion, as scientists had no clear explanation for the signal. Through an interdisciplinary and international effort, they began to piece together the puzzle. Field teams discovered fresh gouges high on the cliffs, while supercomputers simulated the avalanche's trajectory and the fjord's response. Robert Anthony from the U.S. Geological Survey emphasized the collaborative nature of the research, which combined geophysical observations and numerical modeling to provide a comprehensive understanding of the event. This international collaboration was crucial in solving the enigma of Dickson Fjord's seismic heartbeat. 'Saudi Arabia to Wipe Out Nature': 105-Mile Mirror Wall Will Slaughter Tens of Thousands of Birds Across Lifesaving Migration Paths Climate's Silent Hand The landslide in Dickson Fjord underscores the silent but significant impact of climate change. The warming air and ocean waters have eroded the glacier ice that once stabilized the slope, setting the stage for such dramatic events. Alice Gabriel noted that climate change is altering Earth's typical patterns, paving the way for unusual occurrences. Similar instability in other regions has previously led to deadly tsunamis, such as the 2017 event in Karrat Fjord, which destroyed homes and claimed lives. As Arctic travel increases, the risks of such events grow, prompting authorities to consider early-warning systems that integrate satellite data with real-time seismic monitoring. Understanding and predicting these events is crucial for mitigating their impact on vulnerable communities and industries. Satellites Sharpen the Picture Advancements in satellite technology are enhancing our ability to study remote regions like the Arctic. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, launched in December 2022, provides detailed mapping capabilities, offering insights into oceanic processes in challenging environments like fjords. Thomas Monahan from the University of Oxford highlighted SWOT's role in transforming our understanding of these dynamic environments. By capturing a 30-mile-wide swath with 8-foot resolution, SWOT allows scientists to observe phenomena previously obscured by traditional sensors. As Professor Thomas Adcock pointed out, these new datasets offer unprecedented insights into oceanic extremes, including tsunamis and rogue waves. Leveraging this data will require advancements in machine learning and ocean physics, ultimately enhancing our ability to predict and respond to these powerful natural events. The seismic phenomenon at Dickson Fjord serves as a reminder of the natural world's complexity and the intricate forces shaping it. As researchers continue to investigate, they are uncovering new knowledge that could lead to better forecasting and preparedness for future events. This incident raises important questions about our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems: How can we harness emerging technologies to enhance our predictive capabilities and mitigate the impacts of such unforeseen events? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (26)
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
For 9 Days, Earth Was Sending Out Mysterious Signals. Now We Know What They Were.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Strange signals coming from the Arctic in 2023 were assumed to be a seiche (trapped water with waves sloshing back and forth), but this was never confirmed. Previous instruments used to measure seismic weather phenomena were not able to pick up enough information, but NASA's SWOT satellite eventually found that the signal actually was from a seiche caused by a landslide. Reconstructions of what the weather was like during the days SWOT picked up the signal also show that it couldn't have been anything but a seiche. As fascinating as bizarre signals from other planets can be—teaching us about earthquakes on Mars or auroras in the skies of Jupiter—sometimes even weirder signals come from weather extremes happening right here on Earth. For nine days in 2023, an unknown seismic pulse was generated by the Earth every 90 seconds. It first appeared that September, vanished, and then returned in October. The signals began after a landslide triggered by a megatsunami in Dickson Fjord, Greenland, and was thought to have been produced by a seiche, or standing wave. This wave had probably been stirred up by the tsunami and then trapped by ice in the fjord—but there was no way to prove it. Satellite observations were able to document avalanches and the tsunamis they caused, and scientists collected further data in a research station. There was just one problem—the hypothesized seiche was eluding detection. It remained a mystery, even though studies at the time found seismic data that seemed to align with the sloshing motions of standing waves. So, researcher Thomas Monahan of Oxford University decided to take a closer look. Using data from the KaRIn (Ka-band Radar Interferometer) instrument on board NASA's Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite—an international collaboration capable of high-resolution measurements that extended into Dickson fjord—Monahan and his team finally found evidence for a seiche whose waves were slowly losing intensity. 'Based on the seismic attribution, and systematic ruling out of other dynamic phenomena, we conclude that the observed variability in the SWOT data is consistent with that of a slowly decaying seiche,' the team wrote in a study recently published in Nature Communications. Seiches can occur in lakes and other enclosed (or partially enclosed) bodies of water. The tsunami unleashed in Dickson Fjord had enough strength to leave powerful winds and sudden atmospheric pressure shifts in its wake, pushing water from one end of the enclosure to the other. The water then sloshed back and forth, oscillating for anywhere from hours to days after winds ceased. Tsunamis are often seismic phenomena, and the very long period (VLP) seismic signal that came from the fjord was the aftermath of a tsunamigenic landslide. Previous attempts at recording evidence for this particular seiche had been thwarted by the limitations of satellite altimeters, which did not pick up data during extended gaps between observations. They were also not able to record the differences in the height of waves beyond the area directly under the satellite. They were, however, able to get an especially accurate read on the water below. The landslides in Dickson Fjord happened right when SWOT was transitioning to its Science phase, during which it would orbit and survey most of the planet's surface from an altitude of 890 km (553 miles) for 21 days. This orbit was purposely out of sync with the Sun to lower the chances of misidentifying signal frequencies. The researchers went through the data from every pass the satellite made over the region for the weeks in September and October and used this data to create maps of the fjord, modeling it how would have behaved during different times after the landslide and the height differences between waves (which reached up to two meters, or about 6.5 feet). Reconstructions of weather conditions ruled out all other possible causes behind the signal, and convinced scientists that it could only have been caused by a seiche. 'This study shows how we can leverage the next generation of satellite earth observation technologies to study these processes,' Monahan said in a recent press release. 'SWOT is a game changer for studying oceanic processes in regions such as fjords which previous satellites struggled to see into.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Mint
07-06-2025
- Science
- Mint
Mega tsunamis in Greenland reached 650 feet height, had left scientists puzzled. The mystery is now solved
Scientists have decoded an unusual incident that unfolded in September 2023, when seismic stations across the world began to pick up a steady but unusual signal, repeating every 92 seconds. This steady pulse lasted nine full days and returned for a brief period after a month. It was too faint for people to feel but strong enough to make its presence felt across Alaska to Australia – an unusual behaviour for a typical earthquake. While scientists were baffled at first but the source was later traced to the remote Dickson Fjord in East Greenland – a narrow inlet that is bordered by 3,000-feet high cliffs. New satellite images have now shown a fresh scar where a section of the mountain had vanished – indicating something something massive had struck the water and set the fjord in motion. The answer lies in a colossal natural disaster that hit the area on September 16, 2023. On that day, over 25 million cubic yards of rock and ice – enough to fill 10,000 huge Olympic-sized swimming pools – collapsed into Dickson Fjord from the mountain side. This set in motion a mega tsunami, with waves reaching heights of 650 feet. These waves surged along the two-mile corridor of the fjord, crashing against cliffs and bouncing back, creating a seiche – a prolonged, sloshing motion. Unlike tsunamis, water in seiches go back and forth in an oscillating motion in an enclosed space repeatedly, sending low-frequency seismic energy for days through the earth's crust in a steady rhythm. The credit of solving the puzzle goes to the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) – a joint mission launched by NASA and French space agency in 2022. Using this data, scientists observed water elevation changes that were subtle, with slopes of up to two metres, and hitting across the fjord. These waves were a match to the oscillation expected from seiches. Scientists used machine learning to simulate wave behaviour over time to fill the gaps. 'It was exciting to be working on such a puzzling problem with an interdisciplinary and international team of scientists,' said Robert Anthony of the US Geological Survey. 'Ultimately, it took a plethora of geophysical observations and numerical modeling from researchers across many countries to put the puzzle together and get a complete picture of what had occurred,' he added.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
‘Mega' tsunami of Greenland in 2023 echoed for 9 days, shook sensors worldwide: NASA
A massive rockslide in Greenland in 2023 triggered a rare and persistent 'mega' tsunami that ricocheted within the steep walls of a remote fjord for nine days, according to new satellite data released by NASA and international researchers. The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission, a collaboration between NASA and France's CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales), detected the tsunami's contours. The event, which unfolded in the Dickson Fjord in eastern Greenland, was captured by the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite — a joint mission between NASA and France's CNES — revealing never-before-seen details of how water surged and tilted inside the fjord after the impact. The landslide, which occurred in mid-September 2023, sent over 880 million cubic feet (25 million cubic meters) of rock and ice plunging into the Dickson Fjord, generating a tsunami that lacked space to dissipate. Instead, it bounced back and forth within the confined waterway — rising and falling every 90 seconds. The impact was so powerful that seismic sensors around the world detected the tremors. 'Far from the open ocean, in a confined space, the energy of the tsunami's motion had limited opportunity to dissipate, so the wave moved back and forth about every 90 seconds for nine days. It caused tremors recorded on seismic instruments thousands of miles away,' the article read. Using its high-resolution Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn), the SWOT satellite measured changes in water elevation from its orbit 560 miles (900 kilometers) above Earth. A flyover on September 17 — just a day after the landslide — showed dramatic tilting in water levels, with the north side of the fjord standing up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) higher than the south. These results were compared with baseline measurements taken weeks earlier, on August 6. 'SWOT happened to fly over at a time when the water had piled up pretty high against the north wall of the fjord,' the article quoted Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The Dickson Fjord, about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) wide and 1,772 feet (540 meters) deep, lies along a remote network of channels on Greenland's rugged east coast. Its towering walls — more than 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) high — helped trap the 'mega' tsunami's energy and keep it churning for more than a week.
Economic Times
07-06-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Dickson Fjord's 650-foot mega-tsunami: How a giant wave sent shockwaves worldwide
Mega-tsunamis rock Greenland's Fjord Seiches vs. Tsunamis: The science behind the waves Live Events How advanced satellites and machine learning solved the puzzle Climate Change: The silent driver A breakthrough in Earth monitoring (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In September 2023, seismic stations worldwide began picking up an unusual, rhythmic signal repeating every 90 seconds. This steady pulse continued for nine days and returned briefly a month later. It was faint, unlike a typical earthquake, but strong enough to register across continents—from Alaska to Australia. Scientists were baffled. No known earthquake, volcanic eruption, or explosion had caused source was traced to the remote Dickson Fjord in East Greenland, a narrow inlet bordered by towering cliffs. But what exactly had triggered this steady, global beat?The answer lay in a massive natural disaster: on 16 September 2023, more than 25 million cubic metres of rock and ice—a volume large enough to fill 10,000 Olympic swimming pools—collapsed from the mountainside into Dickson Fjord. This triggered a mega-tsunami with waves reaching 650 feet high, about half the height of the Empire State waves surged along the two-mile-long fjord, smashing against cliffs and bouncing back, creating a prolonged sloshing motion known as a seiche. Unlike tsunamis, which travel outward as single giant waves, seiches occur when water oscillates repeatedly in an enclosed space. This ongoing motion produced rhythmic seismic pulses detectable around the are caused by sudden, large displacements of water—usually due to earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions—and travel as single massive waves. Seiches, however, are standing waves formed in enclosed or semi-enclosed bodies of water, like lakes or fjords. They can be triggered by landslides or strong winds, causing the water to rock back and forth in a steady Dickson Fjord, the narrow, enclosed shape trapped the tsunami energy. The waves couldn't escape, so they kept bouncing, sending low-frequency seismic energy through the Earth's crust for mystery was unraveled thanks to the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, a joint NASA and French space agency mission launched in December 2022. Unlike traditional satellites that scan narrow lines, SWOT uses Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) technology to map wide swaths of ocean surface in high SWOT data, researchers observed subtle water elevation changes—slopes of up to two metres—sloshing across the fjord. These shifts matched the oscillations expected from fill gaps, scientists employed machine learning to simulate wave behaviour over time. They also analysed crustal deformation data from sensors thousands of kilometres away, plus weather and tidal records, ruling out other causes like researcher Thomas Monahan, a University of Oxford engineering student, said, 'Climate change is giving rise to new, unseen extremes. These changes are happening fastest in remote areas like the Arctic, where our ability to monitor them has historically been limited.'The underlying cause of the landslide was the rapid melting of Greenland's glaciers. As glacier ice shrinks, it removes the natural support holding mountainsides in place. This weakening triggers massive rock and ice explained, 'Climate change is shifting what is typical on Earth, and it can set unusual events into motion.' Past disasters, like a deadly tsunami in Karrat Fjord in 2017, show how these events can devastate local Fjord lies near popular cruise routes, raising concerns about future risks as Arctic tourism grows. Authorities are now exploring early-warning systems combining satellite data and real-time seismic monitoring to protect people in vulnerable event represents a turning point in how we observe and understand Earth's dynamic processes. Professor Thomas Adcock of Oxford said, 'This study is an example of how the next generation of satellite data can resolve phenomena that have remained a mystery in the past.'He added, 'We will be able to get new insights into ocean extremes such as tsunamis, storm surges, and freak waves. To fully harness these data, we need to innovate using both machine learning and ocean physics.'A Danish military vessel patrolled the fjord three days after the first pulse but observed nothing unusual. This shows how even massive natural events can leave little trace without sophisticated monitoring are now searching through historical seismic data for similar slow, rhythmic pulses. Carl Ebeling from UC San Diego said, 'This shows there is stuff out there that we still don't understand and haven't seen before.'Every new discovery will improve forecasts of how landslides, fjord shapes, and water depth interact. The hope is to provide early warnings that could save lives in remote, high-latitude silent, powerful waves in Greenland's fjord prove one thing: the most isolated places on Earth are changing fast—and we must listen carefully to what they tell us.
