A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide, researchers say.
A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide, researchers say. But there’s also the possibility of a real landslide that could cause a devastating tsunami.
In a study published last week, scientists noted that the slope on Barry Arm fjord on Prince William Sound in southeastern Alaska slid some 120 meters from 2010 to 2017. These are some of the first measurements to quantify how the slope is falling there.
“We are measuring this loss of land before the tsunami occurs,” said Chunli Dai, lead author of the paper and a research scientist at The Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center.
Read more at: Ohio State University
