Massive Alaska megatsunami was second largest ever recorded
Researchers say glacier retreat destabilized the slope, and the 64 million-cubic-meter collapse sent a nearly 500-meter wave through the fjord.
- On Wednesday, researchers led by University of Calgary geomorphologist Daniel Shugar published a study in the journal Science reconstructing a mega-tsunami triggered by a massive landslide into Alaska's Tracy Arm Fjord on August 10, 2025.
- Rapid warming caused the South Sawyer Glacier to retreat about 500 metres, destabilizing the mountainside and unbuttressing 370 million metric tons of rock that collapsed into the fjord.
- The resulting wave reached about 481 metres, the second-highest run-up ever recorded, as debris fell 1,000 vertical metres into the deep, narrow fjord.
- Cruise lines have suspended routes into the fjord this year, while Shugar described the event as a "good wake up call" given the fortunate absence of vessels near the slide.
- Experts warn that continued glacier retreat and expanding tourism infrastructure increase the likelihood of future disasters, necessitating better slope monitoring and proactive policymaking to mitigate risks.
81 Articles
81 Articles
Algemeen Dagblad
Last year, a megatsunami raged through the Tracy Arm fjord in the American state of Alaska. According to calculations by researchers, the tidal wave reached a height of no less than 481 meters. Because the tsunami occurred early in the morning, there were no cruise ships in Tracy Arm yet, and there were no casualties.
Alaska 2025 tsunami was second-highest ever, taller than Empire State Building
Tracy Arm Fjord, in southeastern Alaska within the Tongass National Forest, presents a majestic vista, with a narrow sea inlet surrounded by towering granite cliffs, waterfalls and glaciers. One morning last year it also was the site of a powerful landslide that triggered a huge localised tsunami. Researchers have now determined that the tsunami on August 10, 2025, was the second-highest ever recorded, with a wave reaching up to 481 metres (1,5…
Observador
With the warming of the coldest regions of the planet, the risk of tsunamis increases, according to scientists, there is an urgent need to develop more effective monitoring of these phenomena.
Scientists have revealed that the megatsunami, nearly 500 meters high, that struck Alaska last summer was the second largest wave ever recorded. They warn that global warming could lead to more frequent such events in the future.
Study details 1,600-foot tsunami from 2025 Alaska landslide
A new study has documented how a landslide in Tracy Arm, a fjord in southeast Alaska, generated a tsunami in 2025 that climbed nearly 1,600 feet, making it the second-highest tsunami ever recorded. The study, published Wednesday in Science, examined the August 10, 2025, landslide in Tracy Arm, a narrow fjord southeast of Juneau that is frequently visited by cruise ships, tour boats and kayakers. Researchers found that more than 64 million cubic …
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