Melting ice led to a tsunami in Greenland. It could happen again

Summary

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Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This episode of Climate Connections addresses how global warming is increasing the risk of landslide-induced tsunamis in the Arctic, focusing on a dramatic 2023 event in a Greenland fjord. Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz and guest Christian Svennevig (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland) explore how rising temperatures, thawing permafrost, and retreating glaciers are destabilizing landscapes, creating new hazards for Arctic communities.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The 2023 Greenland Fjord Tsunami

• Description of the Event [00:01–00:33]
  • A massive landslide in a remote Greenland fjord sent more than 800 million cubic feet of rock into the water, triggering a tsunami taller than the Statue of Liberty.
  • The fjord's steep, glacier-carved slopes heightened the effect.

Science Behind the Hazard

• How Tsunamis Form from Landslides [00:33–00:38]
  • Guest Christian Svennevig explains:

    "You put something into the water very fast and it displaces the water and creates a wave."
    —Christian Svennevig, [00:33]

Climate Change’s Role

• Why These Events Are Becoming More Likely [00:38–01:08]
  • Arctic permafrost is thawing, destabilizing mountain slopes.
  • Glaciers that have long supported these slopes are thinning and weakening.
  • Aerial photos reveal the glacier at the tsunami site had been thinning for decades.
• Impact and Relevance
  • While the 2023 event occurred in a remote area, similar risks threaten communities in Greenland, Alaska, and other Arctic regions.

The Emerging Hazard

• Accelerating Danger [01:08–01:20]
  • Svennevig notes:

    "We know the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the globe, and we know that that warming will continue. So it's indeed an emerging hazard, but also one that will accelerate in the future."
    —Christian Svennevig, [01:08]

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Explanation of Landslide-Tsunami Mechanism

  "You put something into the water very fast and it displaces the water and creates a wave."
  —Christian Svennevig, [00:33]

• On Escalating Risk

  "We know the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the globe, and we know that that warming will continue. So it's indeed an emerging hazard, but also one that will accelerate in the future."
  —Christian Svennevig, [01:08]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:01–00:33 – Introduction to the 2023 Greenland fjord tsunami event
• 00:33–00:38 – Mechanism of landslide-induced tsunamis explained
• 00:38–01:08 – Discussion of climate change impacts (permafrost thaw, glacier thinning)
• 01:08–01:20 – The growing and accelerating hazard for Arctic communities

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Episode Tone and Language

Dr. Leiserowitz adopts a clear, urgent, yet hopeful tone, emphasizing scientific findings and the importance of understanding emerging climate-related hazards. Svennevig's remarks are factual, accessible, and underscore the seriousness of the threat.

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For further information and resources: Visit climateconnections.org

Transcript

[A]

I'm Dr. Anthony Liesiewicz, and this is Climate Connections. In 2023, a tsunami wave taller than the Statue of Liberty crashed back and forth in a Greenland fjord, a narrow inlet carved between steep mountain slopes. Christian Svenevy of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland says the tsunami was triggered by a massive landslide that sent more than 800 million cubic feet of rock plunging into the

[B]

you put something into the water very fast and it displaces the water and creates a wave,

[A]

he says. This sort of event is growing more likely as the climate warms. The Arctic's frozen ground, or permafrost, is thawing, which can destabilize mountain slopes. And glaciers, which help buttress eroding mountainsides, are getting thinner and weaker. Aerial photos show that a glacier at the site of the Greenland landslide had been thinning for decades. This event occurred in a remote area, but Svenovy says in some parts of Greenland, Alaska and beyond, communities are at risk from landslide induced

[B]

tsunamis. We know the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the globe, and we know that that warming will continue. So it's indeed an emerging hazard, but also one that will accelerate in the future.

[A]

Climate Connections is produced by the Yale center for Environmental Communication. To learn more about climate change, visit climateconnections.org.