Archive · 7 Jun 2025
SWOT Satellite Detects Greenland Mega-Tsunamis in 2023
Imagine the Earth gently shaking every minute and a half for a few days.
Scientists have now figured out the cause of these shakes that happened in 2023!
It was in Greenland where a glacier-induced avalanche caused giant waves, like a bathtub sloshing back and forth.
These waves, called seiches, sent ripples felt around the world, shaking the planet's crust.
Using the SWOT satellite, scientists saw how the water moved in a fjord in Greenland.
This helps us understand how climate change and glacier melt can lead to surprising geological events.
Unusual seismic signals occurred globally every 90 seconds for nine days in September 2023, and again in October.
Scientists identified the source as two mega-tsunamis in East Greenland.
These tsunamis were triggered by landslides due to warming of an unnamed glacier.
The waves became trapped as seiches, shaking the planet's crust.
NASA's SWOT satellite provided new observations, using innovative analysis techniques to reveal the seiches.
- Who
- Scientists using data from NASA’s SWOT satellite.
- What
- Rhythmic seismic pulses every 90 seconds, traced to seiche activity.
- When
- September and October 2023
- Where
- Dickson Fjord, East Greenland
- Why
- Two mega tsunamis, triggered by major landslides due to glacier melt, caused oscillating waves called seiches.
- Seismic Event Frequency
- Every 90 seconds
- Location
- Dickson Fjord, East Greenland
- Duration
- Nine days (September 2023), repeated in October
- Cause
- Two glacier-induced avalanches
- Wave Type
- Seiches (oscillating waves)
- Satellite Used
- NASA’s SWOT
- Initial Avalanche Wave Height
- Up to 7.9 meters
