Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have developed a pioneering technique capable of remotely detecting large landslides within minutes of their occurrence and promptly assessing their proximity to open water, thereby evaluating the potential for a tsunami threat.
In a recent article published in The Seismic Record journal, Ezgi Karasözen, a research seismologist at UAF Geophysical Institute, emphasized the critical nature of their research within the context of climate change-induced glacier retreats, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the southern coast of Alaska.
“The warming climate is causing glaciers to retreat, resulting in valleys where mountainsides and hillsides lack support,” Karasozen explained.
Their system, currently deployed in the Barry Arms area of Prince William Sound, relies on existing seismic station data to rapidly detect long-period waves triggered by landslides amidst a flurry of seismic signals.
Karasozen elaborated, “When an earthquake occurs, there are instruments that measure sea wave height, and tsunami warning centers are activated following an earthquake.”
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