The 2015 landslide and tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska
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Abstract
Glacial retreat in recent decades has exposed unstable slopes and allowed deep water to extend beneath some of those slopes. Slope failure at the terminus of Tyndall Glacier on 17 October 2015 sent 180 million tons of rock into Taan Fiord, Alaska. The resulting tsunami reached elevations as high as 193 m, one of the highest tsunami runups ever documented worldwide. Precursory deformation began decades before failure, and the event left a distinct sedimentary record, showing that geologic evidence can help understand past occurrences of similar events, and might provide forewarning. The event was detected within hours through automated seismological techniques, which also estimated the mass and direction of the slide - all of which were later confirmed by remote sensing. Our field observations provide a benchmark for modeling landslide and tsunami hazards. Inverse and forward modeling can provide the framework of a detailed understanding of the geologic and hazards implications of similar events. Our results call attention to an indirect effect of climate change that is increasing the frequency and magnitude of natural hazards near glaciated mountains.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | The 2015 landslide and tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska |
| Series title | Scientific Reports |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-018-30475-w |
| Volume | 8 |
| Year Published | 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center Geology Minerals |
| Description | 12993, 12 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Other Geospatial | Taan Fiord |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |