About the Innaarsuit iceberg
Over the past week, a huge iceberg has been causing serious concern for the residents of Innaarsuit, a settlement on the west coast of Greenland.
Landslide tsunami
Most rock formations in Greenland are stable, but in some places the rocks are more porous, which can lead to large or small landslides. As the earth warms, more and more permafrost will melt, which may increase the risk of destabilisation. Where landslides end in the sea, tsunami waves of varying altitudes will occur, depending on the mass and the speed of the landslide.
On the 17th June 2017, the settlements of Nuugaatsiaq and Illorsuit in northwestern Greenland were hit by a tsunami that had been triggered by a giant landslide at the bottom of the Karrat Fjord. An earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale had caused 45 million cubic meters of earth and rock to plunge as far as 1300m, creating a 90m high tsunami wave at the point of impact.
By the time the tsunami reached Nuugaatsiaq, 35km away, it had reached a height of 10m and it washed 11 houses into the fjord, among other things.
Four people died and another nine were injured. The settlement of Illorsuit was also hit, where buildings were destroyed, but fortunately no one was seriously injured.
On the 29th January 2021, the Greenlandic Government issued a press release stating that there is still a high risk of another landslide close to the site of the landslide in 2017 (the so-called ‘Karrat 3’ area), which could be 10 times larger than the 2017 landslide. If the entire Karrat 3 area collapses at once, it will result in the following sizes of swash zones (the area where water will wash up on the beach and can potentially cause damage):
Illorsuit: 8.7 metres
Niaqornat: 3.8 metres
Qaarsut: 4.8 metres
Uummannaq: 4 metres
Nuugaatsiaq: 28.4 metres
In other words, there is a certain risk related to moving around at the bottom of the Karrat fjord, so this is not recommended. Read here about safe movement in Greenland on land, at sea and in the air.
In May 2021, the Greenlandic Government offered all residents of settlements with a high risk of tsunami places in public rental housing in the nearby towns.
Iceberg tsunamis
Most people who have been to Greenland during the summer season have seen – and heard – calving icebergs, which happens when the melting of the iceberg shifts its centre of gravity, causing it to tip over and break. It is an awe-inspiring sight, occurring alongside a dramatic soundtrack reminiscent of thunder – some would say it is an experience of a lifetime!
When simply the ‘tip of the iceberg’ reaches 10, 20, 30 or 40 metres above sea level, you know how much mass is involved. When a giant like this throws huge blocks of ice off of itself, it can create metre-high tsunami waves. Therefore, it is highly recommended that boats and kayaks keep a reasonable distance from large icebergs. Read more about icebergs here.
Glacier tsunamis
Nowhere in the northern hemisphere are there as many glaciers as in Greenland. Almost every fjord has one or more glaciers, which have their outlet either on land or directly into the sea. Glaciers which discharge directly into the sea calve icebergs and/or large amounts of loose ice throughout the melting season (from May to September, depending on the location and the weather from year to year). When this happens, large amounts of kinetic energy are released and tsunami waves are formed that can reach heights of 10 metres. It is, of course, extremely dangerous to drift in a boat close to glacier fronts. In September 2019, three fishermen from Uummannaq died when they were surprised by a calving glacier. In this video you can see the dramatic experience of an Australian tourist during a slightly too ‘close call’. Read more about sailing trips in Greenland here.
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