Huge disaster alert in the Arctic: Huge tsunami threat in Greenland fjords from scientists

Greenland, one of the Arctic regions most rapidly affected by the global climate crisis, is facing massive rock slides and the devastating tsunamis they will trigger. The study, conducted jointly by researchers from Danish, Greenlandic and Norwegian geological institutes and published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, identified two huge unstable slopes in the Uummannaq Fjord system that could be activated at any time.

Following the mega tsunami in 2017, which occurred in Karrat Fjord when 58 million cubic meters of rock slid into the sea and wiped the Nuugaatsiaq village off the map, killing 4 people, it was documented that much larger masses in the region were at the breaking point.

A GIANT ROCK MASS OF 400 MILLION CUBIC METERS IS WAITING TO FALL

The team of experts, led by geologist Marie Keiding, found that around 400 million cubic meters of rock are suspended in the area, which spans a massive 2.65 million square meters in Karrat Fjord and is one of the largest active slopes ever mapped.

It was noted that the activity on the 30 million cubic meter slope in Kangerluarsuk Fjord, which is the second danger area, has increased at an extraordinary rate since 2015. Scientists state that although the timing cannot be predicted with certainty, it is inevitable that this slope will completely break off and slide into the sea in the next few years or decades.

GIANT WAVES WILL HIT SETTLEMENTS 6 MINUTES AFTER THE LANDSLIDE

Geophysical simulations showed that if the slide in Kangerluarsuk occurred, the Ukkusissat settlement, 25 kilometers away, would be flooded by tsunami waves of 3 to 7 meters high in just 6 minutes.

It was emphasized that if the huge structure of 400 million cubic meters in Karrat Fjord collapsed at once, the mega tsunami that would occur could travel more than 100 kilometers and destroy living spaces in the entire fjord system with giant waves exceeding 10 meters (at the height of telephone poles).

CLIMATE CHANGE TRIGGERS DISASTER BY MELTING FROZEN SOILS

Although rockslides in fjords are considered a natural process, scientists point out that the melting of the frozen soil layer (permafrost) due to global warming accelerates these disasters. The thaw of frozen soil, which acts as the natural cement that holds the structure of the mountains together, causes the masses to rapidly lose their ability to hold on.

Experts state that the frequency and magnitude of similar mega tsunami disasters will increase in the future due to the climate crisis in the Arctic and high mountain areas, and call for the establishment of urgent early warning systems.