The Cause of the Mystery Tremors: A Massive Landslide in Greenland
In September, an unusual seismic event baffled scientists worldwide. Sensors picked up strange vibrations that lasted for nine days, leading experts to investigate the source. The mystery tremors were eventually traced back to a massive landslide in a fjord in Greenland, causing a powerful tsunami.
The landslide happened when a mountain’s rocky side collapsed, carrying with it large amounts of glacial ice into the fjord. This collapse generated a gigantic 200-meter-high wave, which became trapped in the narrow fjord. As the wave repeatedly moved back and forth within the fjord, it caused the earth to vibrate for nine consecutive days.
Climate Change and the Frequency of Landslides
According to scientists, these kinds of landslides have been occurring more frequently, largely due to climate change. In Greenland, the glaciers that once supported the mountains are rapidly melting, weakening the mountainside and making them more prone to collapse. The investigation into the mystery tremors, published in the journal Science, involved an international team of experts and the Danish Navy.
Unidentified Seismic Object
When the tremors were first detected, the signal was unfamiliar. Dr. Stephen Hicks from University College London (UCL) said that when his colleagues spotted the signal, they couldn’t identify it immediately. They dubbed it an “unidentified seismic object.” Dr. Hicks explained that the signal appeared every 90 seconds for nine days, sparking curiosity among scientists.
A group of researchers began discussing the mystery tremors on an online platform. Around the same time, scientists in Denmark, who frequently conduct fieldwork in Greenland, received reports of a tsunami in a remote fjord. This piqued their interest, and they combined their efforts to solve the mystery.
Identifying the Source of the Mystery Tremors
The scientific team used seismic data to locate the origin of the mystery tremors, pinpointing it to the Dickson Fjord in East Greenland. By comparing satellite images taken before and after the event, they noticed a significant cloud of dust in a gully, which provided crucial evidence.
Photographs taken by the Danish Navy just before the tremors helped reveal that a mountain had collapsed, sweeping a portion of a glacier into the fjord’s waters. It was determined that 25 million cubic meters of rock—equal to the size of 25 Empire State Buildings—had fallen into the water, triggering a massive tsunami.
A Mega-Tsunami Trapped in the Fjord
Unlike typical tsunamis that are caused by underwater earthquakes and dissipate after a few hours, this wave was trapped in the narrow confines of the fjord. Dr. Hicks explained that the landslide occurred about 200 kilometers from the open ocean, in a highly complex fjord system.
Because of the geographical complexity, the wave couldn’t dissipate its energy, resulting in the vibrations that persisted for nine days. The scientists modeled the event and found that the water in the fjord continued to slosh back and forth, unable to escape
.
Climate Change’s Role in Landslides
The collapse of the mountain and the subsequent tsunami were directly tied to rising temperatures in Greenland. As temperatures climb, the glaciers that once held these mountains together are thinning, leaving the mountains unstable. The melting glacier that once supported the mountainside could no longer hold the weight, leading to the collapse that triggered the massive wave.
Dr. Hicks emphasized how climate change is increasingly influencing these remote regions, where landslides are becoming more frequent. This disaster was a stark reminder of how melting ice sheets, caused by rising temperatures, can have dramatic consequences.
Potential Risks for Arctic Tourism
While the Dickson Fjord is in a remote area, many Arctic fjords, like this one, are occasionally visited by cruise ships. Luckily, no ships were in the area at the time of the landslide. However, Dr. Kristian Svennevig from the National Geological Surveys for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) pointed out that these types of events are becoming more common.
“We are seeing an increase in giant, tsunami-causing landslides, particularly in Greenland,” Dr. Svennevig told BBC News. Though this specific event doesn’t confirm the trend on its own, it highlights the need for further research into the impact of climate change on geological events.
A New Type of Seismic Event
According to Dr. Hicks, this incident might be the first time that a climate change-related event has had such a widespread impact on the Earth’s crust, sending tremors around the world. As glaciers continue to melt and the structural integrity of Greenland’s mountains weakens, scientists are increasingly concerned about the frequency and scale of such events.
This landslide-triggered tsunami was not only a geological event but a warning of the far-reaching effects of climate change. As climate shifts continue to reshape the natural world, similar events may become more common, affecting both remote areas and more populated regions.
Conclusion
The mystery tremors that lasted for nine days were a result of a massive landslide-triggered tsunami in Greenland’s Dickson Fjord. This event underscores the growing frequency of landslides in the Arctic, driven by climate change. Scientists now believe that such events will continue to increase as glaciers melt and mountains become more unstable, showing how climate change is directly impacting even the most remote regions of the planet.
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