Trending Now - Catastrophic Glacier Collapse Triggers Massive 481-meter Tsunami
WHO:
Kottke - Professor Dan Shugar, a geomorphologist from the University of Calgary, led the study on the tsunami.
The Daily Galaxy - Glaciologist Leigh Stearns from the University of Pennsylvania commented on the implications of glacier retreat.
WHAT:
Kottke - The tsunami was one-and-a-half times the height of the Eiffel Tower.
The Daily Galaxy - The tsunami exceeded the height of all but 14 buildings on Earth.
The Daily Galaxy - The fjord experienced a seiche, a standing wave that persisted long after the initial tsunami.
Kottke - A tsunami measuring 1,578 feet tall occurred due to a landslide in an Alaskan fjord.
The Daily Galaxy - A tsunami 481 meters tall was created by a glacier collapse in Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord, making it the second-largest tsunami ever recorded and the largest not triggered by an earthquake.
The Daily Galaxy - The initial wave of the tsunami moved at approximately 150 mph.
WHERE:
Kottke - The tsunami occurred in an Alaskan fjord, specifically Tracy Arm.
The Daily Galaxy - The event took place in Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord.
WHEN:
Kottke - The tsunami occurred on August 10, 2025, at around 5:30 a.m. local time.
The Daily Galaxy - The glacier collapse and subsequent tsunami also occurred on August 10, 2025.
WHY:
The Daily Galaxy - The glacier's retreat was described as "debuttressing," where the glacier's retreat removes its stabilizing effect on the mountainside.
Kottke - The landslide and tsunami were likely caused by the continued effects of climate change.
The Daily Galaxy - The retreat of the South Sawyer Glacier exposed unstable rock, leading to the collapse.
HOW:
The Daily Galaxy - The narrow shape of the fjord funneled the tsunami, making it more powerful and destructive.
Kottke - The mass of rock that triggered the tsunami was 24 times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The Daily Galaxy - The glacier's retreat by roughly 500 meters in the spring of 2025 removed its stabilizing effect on the mountainside, leading to the collapse.
(UPDATED May 8, 2026 17:22 UTC)
A massive tsunami has struck, reaching a height one-and-a-half times that of the Eiffel Tower and surpassing all but 14 buildings on Earth. This disaster was exacerbated by a phenomenon known as a seiche, which caused a standing wave to linger long after the initial impact, while the glacier's retreat has destabilized the mountainside, a process referred to as "debuttressing." The narrow shape of the fjord played a crucial role in amplifying the tsunami's power and destructiveness.
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(UPDATED May 8, 2026 15:24 UTC)
A massive tsunami measuring 481 meters tall struck Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord on August 10, 2025, following a glacier collapse, marking it as the second-largest tsunami ever recorded and the largest not caused by an earthquake. Professor Dan Shugar from the University of Calgary led a study on the event, while glaciologist Leigh Stearns from the University of Pennsylvania highlighted the implications of glacier retreat, which played a crucial role in this disaster. The initial wave of the tsunami surged at an astonishing speed of approximately 150 mph, triggered by a landslide involving a mass of rock 24 times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.