Multi-method observation and analysis of a tsunami caused by glacier calving
Glacier calving can cause violent tsunami waves which, upon landfall, can cause severe destruction. Here we present data acquired during a calving event from Eqip Sermia, an ocean-terminating glacier in west Greenland. During an exceptionally well-documented event, the collapse of 9 × 10<sup>...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-05-01
|
| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/995/2016/tc-10-995-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | Glacier calving can cause violent tsunami waves which, upon landfall, can
cause severe destruction. Here we present data acquired during a calving
event from Eqip Sermia, an ocean-terminating glacier in west Greenland.
During an exceptionally well-documented event, the collapse of 9 × 10<sup>5</sup> m<sup>3</sup>
ice from a 200 m high ice cliff caused a tsunami wave of 50 m height, traveling at a speed of
25–33 m s<sup>−1</sup>. This wave was filmed from a tour boat at
800 m distance from the calving face, and simultaneously measured
with a terrestrial radar interferometer and a tide gauge. Tsunami wave run-up
height on the steep opposite shore at a distance of 4 km was
10–15 m, destroying infrastructure and eroding old
vegetation. These observations indicate that such high tsunami waves are
a recent phenomenon in the history of this glacier. Analysis of the data
shows that only moderately bigger tsunami waves are to be expected in the
future, even under rather extreme scenarios. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |