Unprecedented Megatsunami Rocks Tracy Arm Fjord
A colossal megatsunami surged through a remote fjord in southeast Alaska last summer, generating the second tallest wave ever documented. This powerful natural disaster, triggered by a massive mountain collapse plunging into the sea, highlights the growing dangers linked to melting glaciers.
The Catastrophic Landslide Behind the Wave
Scientists reveal that an astonishing 64 million cubic meters of rock—equivalent to the volume of 24 Great Pyramids—tumbled into the water in less than a minute. This sudden, immense landslide unleashed a towering wave nearly 500 meters high, reshaping the landscape of Tracy Arm Fjord and causing widespread destruction.
A Narrow Escape for Tourists
The timing of the event, occurring in the early hours, prevented tourist cruise ships from being caught in the path of devastation. Dr. Bretwood Higman, a renowned Alaskan geologist who assessed the aftermath firsthand, described the incident as “a close call.”
“We know that there were people who were very nearly in the wrong place,” Dr. Higman warned. “I’m quite terrified that we won’t be so lucky in the future.”
Melting Glaciers Amplify Risks
This megatsunami underscores the escalating threat that melting glaciers pose to coastal and fjord communities. As climate change accelerates glacial retreat, unstable slopes become increasingly prone to massive landslides, raising the risk of similar catastrophic waves.
