Key Points
- A landslide in Greenland last year caused the earth to shake for nine days.
- A year later, researchers attributed the earthquake to rising temperatures caused by climate change.
- “Landslides are increasing due to climate change,” scientist Amelie Meyer told SBS News.
Researchers were initially baffled by what caused the seismic event. A year later, scientists say they can now explain what happened.
A seismic hum
In September 2023, seismometers around the world began detecting a 10.88 millihertz seismic signal originating from eastern Greenland.
The September mega-tsunami wave lodged in the narrow fjord (about 38 km long and 3 km wide) and echoed back and forth for days.
The avalanche of rocks and ice crashed into the fjord at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, causing a mega-tsunami that lurched back and forth for days. Credit: Science
The sloshing motion generated so much energy that it created vibrations that were observable worldwide.
Although this is a rarity, this may not be the last event of its kind.
‘Landslides are increasing’
“Landslides are common and are increasing due to climate change,” said Amelie Meyer, a senior scientist at the University of Tasmania.
According to Dr. Meyers, climate change is degrading permafrost and thinning glaciers, making landslides more frequent and severe. Source: Getty / Galen Rowell
“As temperatures rise, the elevation at which you have permafrost (frozen ground) also rises. Those areas are then exposed to temperatures above freezing at certain times of the year,” Meyer told SBS News.
“There are times in the summer when you would avoid these areas, but climate change means many people are unsafe all year round.”