--- title: "Scientists Intrigued by Detection of 650-Foot Mega-Tsunami" description: "The mega-tsunami created seismic vibrations in the Earth that were felt globally for over a week straight." date: "2024-09-14" modified: "2024-09-14" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-detection-mega-tsunami" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "mega tsunami" - "the digest" - "tsunami" --- # Scientists Intrigued by Detection of 650-Foot Mega-Tsunami ![The mega-tsunami created seismic vibrations in the Earth that were felt globally for over a week straight.]() *Powerful large ocean wave \Image: Philip Thurston / Getty Images\* ## Neptune's Wrath Last September, scientists the world over detected an inexplicable seismic vibration that shook the planet for nine days straight — too long to be a mere earthquake. The detection was so unprecedented that at the time, some scientists believed there was something wrong with their instruments. Now, after a year-long international collaboration, we know what caused it. That September day, at a fjord in Greenland, a melting glacier cascaded into a landslide, dumping unimaginable quantities of material into the sea. The resulting mega-tsunami boasted waves up to a staggering *650 feet tall —* enough to swallow some skyscrapers, and making it one of the tallest on record. These findings, published as a [study in the journal *Science*](), also paint a stark picture of the monumental effects of [climate change](). In this case, the seismic aftermath of the tsunami was literally felt globally. "No one had ever seen anything like this," study lead author Kristian Svennevig, a geologist with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, [told *NBC News*](). ## Making Waves The mega-tsunami was spectacular, but the big splash on its own couldn't account for the over-a-week-long seismic vibrations. When the landslide crashed into the sea, the initial, six hundred foot wave was trapped inside the narrow fjord — which is an inlet of sea water bounded by steep cliffs. With nowhere else to go, the awesome tsunami continued to tumble back and forth within the length of the valley, stabilizing into a roughly 23 foot tall wave that would last for days. This phenomenon — an oscillating standing wave in an enclosed body of water — is known as a seiche, and until now, no one knew it was possible that they could last this long. "Had I suggested a year ago that a seiche could persist for nine days, people would shake their heads and say that's impossible," Svennevig [told *CNN*](). ## Sea Change Piecing all of this together wasn't easy — it took roughly a year, with the efforts of 68 scientists from institutions around the globe. They used satellite and ground-based imagery in conjunction with an analysis of the seismic waves to determine the unraveling of the epic landslide that set it all into motion, while computer simulations were created to model the tsunami and the ensuing seiche. But the ultimate cause, researchers said, was climate change, with warm temperatures weakening the glacier that triggered the landslide. It's "an alarming signal" of what's to come, according to Paula Snook, a geologist at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, who was not involved in the study. "We are thawing ground which has been in a cold, frozen state for many thousands of years," she told *CNN*. "It's a sign that climate change is pushing these systems into uncharted waters," Svennevig added. **More on glacial events:** *[Scientists Discover Ancient Viruses Frozen in Glacier]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()