'Mega-tsunami' caused by huge landslide made the Earth vibrate for 9 days

The Earth vibrated for nine straight days in a row, and this incredible natural occurrence took place as the result of an enormous landslide.

The event in Greenland unleashed a seismic signal that initially baffled scientists when it took place in September 2023.

A landslide in Dickson Fjord, Greenland caused a “hum” to spread across the entire planet – something which experts had not observed before.

The landslide, which eventually triggered a mega-tsunami, was studied by experts from University College London (UCL).

Worryingly, the event was linked to the climate crisis, with the rockslide caused by a 1.2km-high mountain peak falling into water resulting in a 200 metre-tall wave pushing through the fjord. The landslide, according to the study published in the journal Science, was caused by the thinning of a glacier at the foot of the mountain.

This resulted in a vibration which was felt all the way around the world, and unlike normal earthquakes, it was one steady, unbroken frequency.

Eventually, scientists worked out where the hum was coming from. After running advanced models and studying satellite imagery, they discovered that it was related to the fjord itself.

Incredibly, the hum was caused by water in Dickson Fjord moving back and forth – something which continued for nine days.

“This [landslide] event highlights the intricate interconnections between climate change in the atmosphere, destabilisation of glacier ice, movements of water bodies, and Earth’s solid crust,” said Dr Hicks.

“This is the first time that water sloshing has been recorded as vibrations through the Earth’s crust, travelling the world over and lasting several days.”

Lead author Dr Kristian Svennevig from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said that this was the first recorded landslide and tsunami in eastern Greenland.

“As a landslide scientist, an additional interesting aspect of this study is that this is the first-ever landslide and tsunami observed from eastern Greenland, showing how climate change already has major impacts there,” he said.

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