Experts have warned that an icy mountain region in the United States could witness a disaster similar to the Nepal floods. Alaska is at risk of a climate change-induced glacial collapse, and it has actually already occurred. Alaska’s Tracy Arm fjord was struck by a "mega-tsunami" 1,578 feet high from a landslide. Scientists have now found that "the rapid retreat of a glacier set the scene for the huge slide and the following mega-tsunami."&nbsp;Tourist cruise ships escaped the disaster by mere hours. Prof Bill McGuire, a climate scientist and professor emeritus at University College London, told the BBC, "It is a threat that is only going to get bigger as the planet gets hotter." He warned that people living in places under these mountain regions and tourists aboard cruise ships face a growing risk from melting glaciers.&nbsp;Patrick Lynett, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, told the outlet that Alaska's mega-tsunami was linked to rapidly melting glaciers. He has warned that this was definitely not the last such event to hit the region and that they will become increasingly common. "Tracy Arm-type events will continue to happen, seemingly at an increasing rate, in fjords and other water bodies with rapidly retreating glaciers," he said.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/climate-change-caused-nepal-floods-but-a-2015-earthquake-may-have-contributed-1789630155043">Climate change caused Nepal floods, but a 2015 earthquake may have contributed</a>&nbsp;Rapidly melting glaciers are destabilising mountain slopes, and the warming climate is also thawing permafrost, which in turn loosens the glaciers. Permafrost is ground with rock, soil and ice that remains permanently frozen.<h2>Earthquakes from ice loss</h2>Ice loss in Alaska also sets the stage for earthquakes, as it removes a lot of weight from the crust below. When this happens, faults start moving and can trigger earthquakes, causing "glacier collapse and breach meltwater lakes." McGuire says any region with large amounts of ice is vulnerable going forward, and this "includes Alaska and some of the Rockies, the European Alps and – especially – the Himalayas."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/11-trillion-tons-of-ice-has-vanished-from-greenland-and-antarctica-1789553793005">11 trillion tons of ice has vanished from Greenland and Antarctica. That's not the worst part</a>&nbsp;Byers says to prevent "a future catastrophic event", cruise companies might have to drop the fjord from their routes. He has called for the development of "effective and locally appropriate early warning systems" to ensure timely action. However, avoiding a disaster might not be entirely possible since ships are already in motion and cannot just turn back.&nbsp;What is needed is a better understanding of where hazards occur and limiting the size or number of ships in a fjord. Satellites can be used to monitor whether slopes are moving. But this may not be foolproof as well, since in heavily glaciated regions some glaciers can move several metres a day. So, in a warming world, more glacier collapses are bound to happen, and predicting them isn't easy to tell. &nbsp;

What happened in Nepal could happen in many other icy mountain regions, experts have warned, including Alaska in the United States. Last year, a landslide unleashed a mega-tsunami, and another one from the sky could be waiting to happen. 

Experts have warned that an icy mountain region in the United States could witness a disaster similar to the Nepal floods. Alaska is at risk of a climate change-induced glacial collapse, and it has actually already occurred. Alaska’s Tracy Arm fjord was struck by a "mega-tsunami" 1,578 feet high from a landslide. Scientists have now found that "the rapid retreat of a glacier set the scene for the huge slide and the following mega-tsunami." Tourist cruise ships escaped the disaster by mere hours. Prof Bill McGuire, a climate scientist and professor emeritus at University College London, told the BBC, "It is a threat that is only going to get bigger as the planet gets hotter." He warned that people living in places under these mountain regions and tourists aboard cruise ships face a growing risk from melting glaciers. Patrick Lynett, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, told the outlet that Alaska's mega-tsunami was linked to rapidly melting glaciers. He has warned that this was definitely not the last such event to hit the region and that they will become increasingly common. "Tracy Arm-type events will continue to happen, seemingly at an increasing rate, in fjords and other water bodies with rapidly retreating glaciers," he said. Also Read: Climate change caused Nepal floods, but a 2015 earthquake may have contributed Rapidly melting glaciers are destabilising mountain slopes, and the warming climate is also thawing permafrost, which in turn loosens the glaciers. Permafrost is ground with rock, soil and ice that remains permanently frozen. Earthquakes from ice loss Ice loss in Alaska also sets the stage for earthquakes, as it removes a lot of weight from the crust below. When this happens, faults start moving and can trigger earthquakes, causing "glacier collapse and breach meltwater lakes." McGuire says any region with large amounts of ice is vulnerable going forward, and this "includes Alaska and some of the Rockies, the European Alps and – especially – the Himalayas." Also Read: 11 trillion tons of ice has vanished from Greenland and Antarctica. That's not the worst part Byers says to prevent "a future catastrophic event", cruise companies might have to drop the fjord from their routes. He has called for the development of "effective and locally appropriate early warning systems" to ensure timely action. However, avoiding a disaster might not be entirely possible since ships are already in motion and cannot just turn back. What is needed is a better understanding of where hazards occur and limiting the size or number of ships in a fjord. Satellites can be used to monitor whether slopes are moving. But this may not be foolproof as well, since in heavily glaciated regions some glaciers can move several metres a day. So, in a warming world, more glacier collapses are bound to happen, and predicting them isn't easy to tell.

What happened in Nepal could happen in many other icy mountain regions, experts have warned, including Alaska in the United States. Last year, a landslide unleashed a mega-tsunami, and another one from the sky could be waiting to happen.&nbsp;

1,578 feet mega-tsunami in Alaska linked to melting glaciers, and will happen again

After the part of an Alaskan mountain crumbled into the sea, a massive 'megatsunami' wave was created, marking the second-tallest ever, reminding the risks posed by melting glaciers, according to scientists. Last year, a giant wave came across a remote fjord in southeast Alaska leading to the destruction in its wake.&nbsp;The event, which went largely unreported at the time, now shows that small earthquakes resulted in a massive landslide. As a result, 64 million cubic metres of rock, the equivalent of 24 Great Pyramids, splashed into the water, creating a gigantic wave almost 500 metres tall. In response, Dr Bretwood Higman, an Alaskan geologist who witnessed the damage at Tracy Arm Fjord, stated that it was "a close call". "We know that there were people who were very nearly in the wrong place," he said. 'I'm quite terrified that we're not going to be so lucky in the future." Massive waves known as megatsunamis occur when landslides, triggered by earthquakes or unstable rock, crash into bodies of water. These events are typically confined to local areas and lose strength quickly. In contrast, ocean-wide tsunamis are usually caused by earthquakes or, at times, underwater volcanic activity. Such tsunamis, like the 2011 Japan disaster, can travel vast distances, striking populated coastlines and causing extensive destruction and loss of life. The largest recorded megatsunami occurred in the 1950s, exceeding 500 metres in height, with the recent event ranking as the second largest. When Dr Higman reached the Tracy Arm Fjord—an Alaskan cruise destination—weeks after the event, he observed shattered trees scattered across slopes and waters, along with large expanses of exposed rock where soil and vegetation had been stripped away.<h3>Vulnerability of Alaska</h3>Alaska is mainly vulnerable to megatsunamis because of its narrow fjords, steep mountains and frequent earthquakes. The new research published in Science indicates that glacier melt due to climate change is making it even worse. Dr Stephen Hicks of University College London stated that the glacier was previously "helping to hold up this piece of rock", and so when the ice retreated, it exposed the bottom of the cliff face, "allowing that rock material to suddenly collapse into the fjord". Stephen's team have studied tsunamis for almost 10 years and is worried about it. "More people are now going to remote areas - often these tourist cruises are going to see the natural beauty of the area to actually learn more about climate change - but they are also dangerous places to be," he added.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/1-000-strange-marks-on-a-rock-in-italy-left-hikers-stunned-ancient-underwater-stampede-might-be-responsible-1778069857931">1,000 identical marks on a rock in Italy are from an ancient underwater stampede. Who made them?</a>

A massive 500-meter megatsunami, the second-tallest ever recorded, struck Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord after a landslide dumped 64 million cubic meters of rock into the water. Scientists warn that melting glaciers due to climate change are destabilising cliffs.

After the part of an Alaskan mountain crumbled into the sea, a massive 'megatsunami' wave was created, marking the second-tallest ever, reminding the risks posed by melting glaciers, according to scientists. Last year, a giant wave came across a remote fjord in southeast Alaska leading to the destruction in its wake. The event, which went largely unreported at the time, now shows that small earthquakes resulted in a massive landslide. As a result, 64 million cubic metres of rock, the equivalent of 24 Great Pyramids, splashed into the water, creating a gigantic wave almost 500 metres tall. In response, Dr Bretwood Higman, an Alaskan geologist who witnessed the damage at Tracy Arm Fjord, stated that it was "a close call". "We know that there were people who were very nearly in the wrong place," he said. 'I'm quite terrified that we're not going to be so lucky in the future." Massive waves known as megatsunamis occur when landslides, triggered by earthquakes or unstable rock, crash into bodies of water. These events are typically confined to local areas and lose strength quickly. In contrast, ocean-wide tsunamis are usually caused by earthquakes or, at times, underwater volcanic activity. Such tsunamis, like the 2011 Japan disaster, can travel vast distances, striking populated coastlines and causing extensive destruction and loss of life. The largest recorded megatsunami occurred in the 1950s, exceeding 500 metres in height, with the recent event ranking as the second largest. When Dr Higman reached the Tracy Arm Fjord—an Alaskan cruise destination—weeks after the event, he observed shattered trees scattered across slopes and waters, along with large expanses of exposed rock where soil and vegetation had been stripped away. Vulnerability of Alaska Alaska is mainly vulnerable to megatsunamis because of its narrow fjords, steep mountains and frequent earthquakes. The new research published in Science indicates that glacier melt due to climate change is making it even worse. Dr Stephen Hicks of University College London stated that the glacier was previously "helping to hold up this piece of rock", and so when the ice retreated, it exposed the bottom of the cliff face, "allowing that rock material to suddenly collapse into the fjord". Stephen's team have studied tsunamis for almost 10 years and is worried about it. "More people are now going to remote areas - often these tourist cruises are going to see the natural beauty of the area to actually learn more about climate change - but they are also dangerous places to be," he added. Also read: 1,000 identical marks on a rock in Italy are from an ancient underwater stampede. Who made them?

A massive 500-metre megatsunami, the second-tallest ever recorded, struck Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord after a landslide dumped 64 million cubic meters of rock into the water. Scientists warn that melting glaciers due to climate change are destabilising cliffs.

Massive 500-metre 'megatsunami' hits Alaska Fjord after part of mountain collapses

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1,578 feet mega-tsunami in Alaska linked to melting glaciers, and will happen again

Massive 500m 'megatsunami' hits Alaska Fjord after part of mountain collapses