Mysterious Global Seismic Event September 2023

Mysterious Global Seismic Event of September 2023

• Unusual seismic activity detected worldwide in mid-September 2023
• The seismic signal, unlike typical earthquakes, was a slow, constant wave lasting nine days
• The source of the signal was traced to the Dickson Fjord region after the collapse of a mountain and glacier on September 16, 2023.
• The collapse released approximately 33 million cubic yards of rock and ice, capable of filling 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• The event triggered a 650-foot-tall tsunami, one of the highest recently recorded
• The prolonged seismic activity couldn't be fully explained by the tsunami alone

Mechanism of the Prolonged Seismic Activity

• High-resolution sonar surveys by the Danish Navy revealed a seiche - a standing wave
  • The confined space of the fjord caused the tsunami wave to bounce back and forth, generating a resonant seiche
  • This concentrated energy, causing the Earth to shake for nine days.
• A seiche is analogous to water sloshing in a bathtub or swimming pool, but on a much larger scale
• The landslide occurred inland from the open ocean. The fjord's complex structure prevented energy dissipation

Climate Change Link

• The mountain collapse was linked to rising temperatures in Greenland melting glacier supporting the mountain, leading to instability
• Rising temperatures caused the glacial melt, destabilizing the mountain, and subsequently triggering the landslide.
• The event may represent a significant global impact of climate change on the Earth's crust