On June 17th 2017, one of the largest tsunamis ever recorded hit Greenland, but you probably didn’t hear about it.
4 people were killed, dozens were injured and 11 homes were washed away.
Tsunamis are mostly caused by large earthquakes and are more destructive than mega-tsunamis which are caused by landslides and water displacement. In Greenland, a landslide registered a 4.1 magnitude and displaced enough water to create a 100 meter (328 foot) tall wave.
Update, August 1: Findings published in a report about the June 17 tsunami revealed the wave crested as high as 300 feet when it hit one fjord before dissipating, making it one of the tallest in recorded history. A reconnaissance trip to Greenland led by an environmental engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the “mega-tsunami” was caused by an unusually catastrophic landslide so large it generated a seismic signal, leading to confusion about the tsunami’s cause. In Greenland, these steep cliffs are a mix of rock and ice. As global temperatures warm, and the ice melts, massive landslides may increase.- Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic
The landslide spanned 3,000 feet long and 900 feet wide and occurred in Karat Fjord just south of where the mega-tsunami hit.
Unstable hillside next to where the slide occurred has officials still worried.
