Greenland Tsunami Triggers Global Seismic Waves
The discovery of the trapped tsunamis in Greenland's fjord has significant implications for our understanding of ocean extremes, including tsunamis, storm surges, and freak waves, and demonstrates the potential of new satellite technologies to study these phenomena, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective early warning systems and mitigation strategies.
A recent study has confirmed that unusual tremors detected worldwide were caused by two tsunamis trapped in a Greenland fjord, resulting in standing waves that surged back and forth every 90 seconds, generating seismic waves that lasted for nine days.
The tsunamis were triggered by warming glaciers and landslides in Greenland's Dickson Fjord, which sent a 650-foot mega-tsunami wave crashing into the fjord, causing the water to rock back and forth in a motion known as a seiche. This phenomenon led to the surface rising and falling by up to 30 feet, creating a seismic signal that was observed globally. Researchers from the University of Oxford and 41 other institutions collaborated to solve the mystery, utilizing computer simulations and satellite data to recreate the event.
The study highlights the significant impact of climate change on the stability of slopes and the importance of early warning systems for high-latitude waters. It also demonstrates the potential of next-generation Earth observation satellites to transform our understanding of dynamic environments. The researchers used data from the Surface Water Ocean Topography mission to validate the seiche theory and estimate the initial amplitude of the seiche, which was found to be consistent with a slowly decaying oscillation.
The findings of this study emphasize the value of satellite altimetry in studying extreme events and oceanic phenomena, and underscore the need for specialized methods to address the limitations of these data. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, this research provides critical insights into the complex interactions between the ocean, ice, and land, and highlights the importance of continued monitoring and study of these dynamic systems.