Huge landslide created a 500-meter-high tsunami in a major tourist area

The impact of 63.5 million cubic meters of rock hitting the fjord released forces large enough to be registered globally. The seismic waves that cascaded across the planet were recorded by sensor stations worldwide and were equivalent in energy to a magnitude 5.4 earthquake. The sloshing water within the fjord established a 66-second long-period seiche, a standing wave, that reverberated back and forth for 36 hours. “It could easily turn into a catastrophic disaster,” Fathian says. It could, because Tracy Arm is a highly frequented tourist destination. A close call During the summer, more than 20 boats navigate the Tracy and Endicott arms every day, including up to six large cruise ships. Had the landslide occurred a few hours later, in the middle of the tourist day, the outcome could have been tragic. But even at 5:26 in the morning, the tsunami was enough to terrify the few people present in the vicinity. About 55 kilometers away on Harbor Island, a group of kayakers saw the water flowing past their tents 20 minutes after the landslide. The surging tide took away some of their gear and one of the kayaks. Nearby in No Name Bay, observers on a motor vessel reported a 2-2.5-meter cresting wave coming along the beach from the direction of Tracy Arm, followed by a secondary 1-meter wave. …