Catastrophic landscape modification from a massive landslide tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska

Bloom, Colin; MacInnes, Breanyn; Higman, Bretwood; Shugar, Dan H.; Venditti, Jeremy G.; Richmond, Bruce M.; Bilderback, Eric L.

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.107029

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Landslides from steep mountainsides into fjords have produced destructive tsunamis in the past (Bloom et al, 2020; Gauthier et al, 2018; Higman et al, 2018; Wiles & Calkin, 1992). For example, the 9 July 1958 landslide in Lituya Bay, Alaska (total volume of 30–60 × 10 6 m 3 , area of 0.5 km 2 ) generated a megatsunami more than 500 m high, which propagated 11 km to the mouth of the bay (Miller, 1960; Ward & Day, 2010) and caused two fatalities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Assessment of a Large and Potentially Tsunamigenic Periglacial Landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska

Dai

Higman

Lynett

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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The retreat of glaciers in response to global warming has the potential to trigger landslides in glaciated regions around the globe. Landslides that enter fjords or lakes can cause tsunamis, which endanger people and infrastructure far from the landslide itself. Here we document the ongoing movement of an unstable slope (total volume of 455 × 10 6 m 3) in Barry Arm, a fjord in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The slope moved rapidly between 2010 and 2017, yielding a horizontal displacement of 120 m, which is highly correlated with the rapid retreat and thinning of Barry Glacier. Should the entire unstable slope collapse at once, preliminary tsunami modeling suggests a maximum runup of 300 m near the landslide, which may have devastating impacts on local communities. Our findings highlight the need for interdisciplinary studies of recently deglaciated fjords to refine our understanding of the impact of climate change on landslides and tsunamis. Plain Language Summary Climate warming and the resulting retreat of glaciers may destabilize mountain slopes, triggering landslides. For those landslides that enter fjords, the induced tsunamis are a significant hazard to coastal communities. Despite this risk, most periglacial landslides have been detected only after the event. Using satellite data, we detect a large, slow-moving landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska, and assess its hazard potential. The volume of the landslide is estimated to be 8 times larger than the 17 June 2017 Karrat Fjord landslide in Greenland, which generated a tsunami and killed four people. We found that the Barry Arm landslide moved rapidly between 2010 and 2017, while Barry Glacier quickly thinned and retreated from the landslide area. If the entire unstable slope would collapse, it could generate a tsunami with a runup up to 300 m in the vicinity of the landslide with hazardous waves reaching local communities in Prince William Sound, which is frequently visited by fishermen, tourists, and cruise ships. Our study highlights the need to systematically assess the emerging hazards of landslides and tsunamis influenced by climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Assessment of a Large and Potentially Tsunamigenic Periglacial Landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska

Dai

Higman

Lynett

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…No one directly observed this landslide event. Although field surveys have been conducted and related research works have been performed [1][2][3]35,36,[47][48][49], the triggering mechanism of this landslide is still not elucidated. Seismic waves from an earthquake about 500 km away arrived shortly before this landslide, and a few seconds of mild shaking occurred [2], which could also be a possible trigger of this event.…”

Section: The 2015 Taan Fiord Tsunamigenic Landslide Eventmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Williams et al [49] analyzed the geomorphic and sediment accumulation history of Taan Fiord for the Tyndall Glacier retreat for over 50 years, and carried out a comparison of glacial and paraglacial denudation responses to rapid glacier retreat. Bloom et al [36] investigated the characteristic modifications of the fan deltas in Taan Fiord, which were associated with the tsunami. Franco et al [47] simulated a tsunami event in Taan Fiord with Flow-3D to verify the validity of the applied numerical models in reproducing the wave dynamics.…”

Section: The 2015 Taan Fiord Tsunamigenic Landslide Eventmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we investigate the 17 October 2015 landslide in Taan Fiord, Alaska, from a geotechnical perspective by applying the limit equilibrium method. Previous studies on this landslide and related tsunamis in this region were mainly conducted from geological, geomorphological and geophysical perspectives [2,3,[34][35][36]. In the present study, the multi-temporal aerial radar data were used to reconstruct the slope morphology over time and to constrain the subsequent slope stability analyses via the limit equilibrium method.…”

Section: Introduction 1landslide In the Context Of Natural Multi-hazard And Recent Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

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Engineering-Geological Analysis of a Subaerial Landslide in Taan Fiord, Alaska

et al. 2021

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On 17 October 2015, a large-scale subaerial landslide occurred in Taan Fiord, Alaska, which released about 50 Mm3 of rock. This entered the water body and triggered a tsunami with a runup of up to 193 m. This paper aims to simulate the possible formation of a weak layer in this mountainous slope until collapse, and to analyze the possible triggering factors of this landslide event from a geotechnical engineering perspective so that a deeper understanding of this large landslide event can be gained. We analyzed different remote-sensing datasets to characterize the evolution of the coastal landslide process. Based on the acquired remote-sensing data, Digital Elevation Models were derived, on which we employed a 2D limit equilibrium method in this study to calculate the safety factor and compare the location of the associated sliding surface with the most probable actual location at which this landslide occurred. The calculation results reflect the development process of this slope collapse. In this case study, past earthquakes, rainfall before this landslide event, and glacial melting at the toe may have influenced the stability of this slope. The glacial retreat is likely to be the most significant direct triggering factor for this slope failure. This research work illustrates the applicability of multi-temporal remote sensing data of slope morphology to constrain preliminary slope stability analyses, aiming to investigate large-scale landslide processes. This interdisciplinary approach confirms the effectiveness of the combination of aerial data acquisition and traditional slope stability analyses. This case study also demonstrates the significance of a climate change for landslide hazard assessment, and that the interaction of natural hazards in terms of multi-hazards cannot be ignored.

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“…For instance, the landslide which entered Lituya Bay in Alaska in 1958 triggered a giant tsunami wave with a runup height of over 500 m (Miller, 1960). Another wave (runup over 190 m) recorded in 2015 in Taan Fjord, Alaska, was caused by a landslide from local slopes destabilized by the retreat of Tyndall Glacier (Dufresne et al, 2018;Higman et al, 2018;Haeussler et al, 2018;Bloom et al, 2020). In the last hundred years tsunamis were also recorded in Norwegian fjords, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic tsunamis threaten coastal landscapes and communities – survey of Karrat Isfjord 2017 tsunami effects in Nuugaatsiaq, western Greenland

Jaskólski

2020

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. On the 17 June 2017, a massive landslide which mobilized 35–58 million m3 of material entered the Karrat Isfjord in western Greenland. It triggered a tsunami wave with a runup height exceeding 90 m close to the landslide, ca. 50 m on the opposite shore of the fjord. The tsunami travelled ca. 32 km along the fjord and reached the settlement of Nuugaatsiaq with ca. 1–1.5 m high waves which flooded the terrain up to 9 m a.s.l. (above sea level). Tsunami waves were powerful enough to destroy the community infrastructure, impact fragile coastal tundra landscape, and unfortunately injure several inhabitants and cause four deaths. Our field survey carried out 25 months after the event results in documentation of the previously unreported scale of damage in the settlement (ca. 48 % of infrastructure objects including houses and administration buildings were destroyed by the tsunami). We have observed a recognizable difference in the concentration of tsunami deposit accumulations between areas of the settlement overwashed by the wave and areas of runup and return flow. The key tsunami effects preserved in the coastal landscape were eroded coastal bluffs, gullied and dissected edges of cliffed coast in the harbour, and tundra vegetation compressed by boulders or icebergs rafted onshore during the event.

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Catastrophic landscape modification from a massive landslide tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska

Cited by 8 publications

References 43 publications

Detection and Assessment of a Large and Potentially Tsunamigenic Periglacial Landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska

Detection and Assessment of a Large and Potentially Tsunamigenic Periglacial Landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska

Engineering-Geological Analysis of a Subaerial Landslide in Taan Fiord, Alaska

Arctic tsunamis threaten coastal landscapes and communities – survey of Karrat Isfjord 2017 tsunami effects in Nuugaatsiaq, western Greenland

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