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SWOT Satellite Captures Seiches from Glacier-Melt-Driven Mega-Tsunamis in Greenland Fjord

Next-generation radar instrumentation mapped standing waves to confirm that glacier thinning triggered landslide tsunamis in Dickson Fjord

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In 2023, A Megatsunami Shook The World Every 90 Seconds For 9 Days. Now, We Can See Why
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Overview

  • In September and October 2023, two massive landslides in East Greenland’s Dickson Fjord, driven by glacier thinning, unleashed mega-tsunamis exceeding 200 meters in height.
  • The tsunamis became trapped in the narrow fjord and formed seiches that oscillated for days, sending seismic tremors detectable around the world every 90 seconds.
  • Conventional observation methods, including a Danish military vessel survey, failed to record the standing waves directly as they rapidly lost height.
  • Data from SWOT’s Ka-band Radar Interferometer provided two-dimensional sea-surface height maps showing cross-channel slopes up to two meters, validating the seiche hypothesis.
  • Researchers say the findings highlight the importance of advanced satellite monitoring for assessing climate change-driven glacial collapse and associated ocean hazards in remote regions.