A colossal 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Alaska on Monday, sparking a tsunami warning and sending families fleeing for higher … Pequeño tsunami en Alaska y órdenes de evacuación tras un terremoto de magnitud 7,5 Por Steve Almasy , Dave Alsup , Andy Rose 22:03 ET(03:03 GMT) 19 octubre, 2020 “Forget about it,” Liljedahl says. In mid-October, Gabriel Wolken—the manager of the Climate and Cryosphere Hazards Program for the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys—took a helicopter to Barry Arm. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula on Monday afternoon, triggering a tsunami warning in the region. “It’s the business part of it that we’re all really, you know, hanging by a thread.”. Whittier residents have been mindful of tsunamis for generations. "We are getting very accustomed to these earthquakes, and I've learned to just accept that this is what we have to endure when we decide to live between volcanoes and an active plate, the ring of fire," Candace Nielsen told the station. October 20, 2020 / 7:48 AM Be in the know. October 20, 2020 / 7:48 AM / CBS News A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula on Monday afternoon, triggering a tsunami warning in the region. A biker leads a line of cars driving off the Homer Spit at about on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Homer, Alaska after a tsunami evacuation order was issued for low-lying areas in Homer. Alaska has identified three similar events in the past: Tsunamis in 2015 and 1967 occurred in remote areas, while one in 1958 killed five people. Bender has changed tour routes, canceled water-taxi trips, and even canceled a planned wedding. David Adams, a co-manager of a bed and breakfast in Sand Point, told The Associated Press that the quake "was a pretty good shaker here" and said "the structure itself is sound." Whittier residents are aware of the risk, says Peter Denmark, who runs a commercial kayaking business in the community. 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While many tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, some can be triggered by landslides. Last Updated: 22nd November, 2020 01:38 IST Climate Change Could Lead To Landslide-triggered Tsunami In Alaska: Scientists In Alaska, climate change is intensifying the tsunami threat, which will likely be caused by melting glaciers that are currently holding on to the mountains. Your official U.S. government weather forecasts, warnings, meteorological products for forecasting the weather, tsunami hazards, and information about seismology. Since 2006, Barry Glacier has receded by more than two miles. Tsunami warning areas are seen in map posted by CBS Anchorage, Alaska affiliate KTVA … Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com. Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Email this article. Both earthquakes hit near the U.S. state on Dec. 1. “It’s pretty much science fiction,” Higman says. Climate change makes land more unstable and increases the risk of landslide-caused tsunamis. — NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) October 19, 2020 The earthquake initially triggered a tsunami warning along roughly 500 miles of the Alaska Peninsula coastline, according to … Then came warnings of a potentially devastating tsunami. “If it’s not tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires—it’s one thing or another.” Still, Denmark says, he’s taking precautions; he avoids the Barry Arm area on kayaking tours. The first earthquake, measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at a magnitude of 6.4, struck at 8:22 a.m. about 41 kilometres east south east of the small community of Nikolski in the state. In 1964, the Good Friday earthquake was followed by three colossal waves, each more than 25 feet tall, that crushed waterfront infrastructure, lifting and twisting rail lines and dragging them back to sea. This earthquake is considered an aftershock of the July event. “In Taan Fiord (Icy Bay, Alaska), a landslide that began moving slowly decades ago suddenly failed in October 2015. An advisory was put in place Monday afternoon for the Hawaiian islands, but again there were no reports of large waves or any damage. “My idea was to just blast it down and duck,” he says. July 22, 2020 A tsunami warning was issued for parts of Alaska after a powerful earthquake hit the state late Tuesday. Reserved. In a typical summer, Whittier’s harbor teems with traffic: barnacle-encrusted fishing boats, sightseeing ships, sailboats, super-yachts, and cruise-liner monstrosities. Smaller landslides might be able to be stabilized from the bottom up. Alaska Department of Natural Resources press release. The October 2020 Alaska Peninsula earthquake was a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck 97 km south southeast from the city of Sand Point, Alaska.It came almost three months after a magnitude 7.8 struck the same region. There is considered to be no tsunami risk after multiple earthquakes near Alaska on Tuesday (Dec. 1) morning. ... 2020. The landslide in Barry Arm has been lurching toward the ocean since the 1950s. A Cold Bay, Alaska, resident shared video from her living room as she and her three children huddled under a table when the quake rattled their home, KTVA-TV said. “But nobody thought that was a good idea.”. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 1:54 p.m. PT some 56 miles southeast of Sand Hill and nearly 600 miles southwest of Anchorage. Between 2009 and 2015, Barry Glacier retreated past the bottom edge of the landslide, and the slope fell 600 feet. The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the tsunami warning was in effect for roughly 950 miles, from 40 miles southeast of Homer to … A magnitude 7.5 earthquake jolted Alaska's southern coast on Monday afternoon, triggering a tsunami warning for The Last Frontier and a short-lived tsunami … A biker leads a line of cars driving off the Homer Spit at about on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Homer, Alaska after a tsunami evacuation order was issued for low-lying areas in Homer. An earthquake on Tuesday night, July 21, 2020, prompted a tsunami warning across a stretch of coastal Alaska… As the climate warms, glaciers melt and recede, pulling back from the mountainsides they were hugging. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and San Diego said there was no tsunami threat to the West Coast. However, there are new rockfalls in the area every time he visits, indicating the area’s instability. There is considered to be no tsunami risk after multiple earthquakes near Alaska on Tuesday (Dec. 1) morning. Peter is a news and homepage editor based in Southern California. Once-frozen slabs of rock, dirt, and ice are releasing trapped liquids and becoming more prone to sliding down mountains. The National Tsunami Warning Center … The earthquake had a depth of about 25 miles. “But there are a number of reasons to think climate change makes them a lot more likely.”. Read: What if a ‘big one’ strikes during the pandemic? Boy killed on busy road after being forced out of car, Florida becomes 3rd state to hit 1 million coronavirus cases. July 22, 2020, 8:14 PM • 4 min read. As the glacier retreated, so did the slope’s support system—dragging the rock face downward toward the ocean, leaving a distinct, zig-zagging indentation in the hillside. Increasing preparedness, installing a robust monitoring system on and near landslides, and creating an effective localized-alert system are the best ways to protect communities, she says. The data are still being processed. © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. With its scenic location—close to glaciers and a popular beach—the state estimates that during peak tourism season, up to 500 people could be in the area at any given time. But near Whittier, the unstable slope in … The Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning was in effect for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska … TheAtlantic.com Copyright (c) 2020 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. He also said that all guests were accounted for. There is considered to be no tsunami risk after multiple earthquakes near Alaska on Tuesday (Dec. 1) morning. When there’s more water in the atmosphere, precipitation becomes more intense. (Michael Armstrong/Homer News via AP) The first earthquake, measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at a magnitude of 6.4, struck at 8:22 a.m. about 41 kilometres east south east of the small community of Nikolski in the state. Harriman Fjord is located approximately 60 miles east of Anchorage, and is situated on the southern edge of Alaska—a tsunami generated in the … “It’s basically falling apart.”. "It just kind of happened all of a sudden," he added. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Some schools on the peninsula were evacuated earlier in the day, but there were no reports of damage. November 12, 2020 Landslide along Alaskan fjord could trigger tsunami by Laura Arenschield, The Ohio State University The Barry Arm glacier near … From the air, he conducted a lidar survey, using a laser scanner to measure the topography of the slide area in fine detail, calculating how the landslide has moved and changed since June. The state encourages coastal residents to keep a “go bag” filled with emergency supplies and to plan evacuation routes. Another less obvious symptom of climate change also increases the landslide risk. Scientists believe the slope is likely to fail within the next 20 years—and could even do so within the year. (KRON) – A tsunami warning is in effect for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula after a … The potential energy from a catastrophic slide here is approximately 10 times greater than that of previous events, the state’s top geologist said in the May press release. Bender says that before news of the potential landslide broke, their fleet went into Barry Arm daily. Copyright © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Posted: Oct 19, 2020 / 02:13 PM PDT / Updated: Oct 19, 2020 / 02:38 PM PDT SAND POINT, Alas. Alaska has identified three similar events in the past: Tsunamis in 2015 and 1967 occurred in remote areas, while one in 1958 killed five people. The National Weather Service had tsunami warnings in effect for south Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, including Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass. “The danger part of it—people are feeling like, ‘We know what to do in a tsunami,’” Bender says. While it’s still possible to avert or mitigate many of the worst impacts of climate change, there really isn’t an option to eliminate landslide-generated tsunamis. The warning covered South Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. There were no immediate reports of damage in the Alaska Peninsula and the tsunami warning was canceled after the magnitude 7.8 quake offshore … “The rock itself isn’t very competent,” Wolken says. Climate change will make landslides more likely and more frequent, says Anna Liljedahl, an associate scientist with the Woodwell Climate Research Center. As glaciers recede, the land above them also becomes more unstable. Published May 14, 2020 Updated May … “The resulting tsunami reached elevations of … Barry Glacier’s wall of ice—which once held the hillside in place, supporting it against the fjord’s mountains—has thinned, edging away from the rock face, releasing its support and revealing an unstable slope that is slipping downward toward the ocean. First published on October 19, 2020 / 6:29 PM. It is, thus far, the largest earthquake of 2020 by magnitude. “With the people around town, there’s a laissez-faire attitude about it,” Denmark says. This summer, however, coronavirus travel restrictions put a damper on tourism in the usually buzzing port. The first earthquake, measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at a magnitude of 6.4, struck at 8:22 a.m. about 41 kilometres east south east of the small community of Nikolski in the state. Contact him at peter.martinez@cbsnews.com and read more of his stories here. The state uses howitzer cannons to trigger controlled avalanches in railway and highway corridors, but there’s no easy way to gently coax a colossal landmass off the side of a mountain and into the ocean. That earthquake—which killed 13 people in the town and caused $10 million worth of damage—still occupies Whittier’s memory. Higman notes that rain, even more than earthquakes, is prone to triggering landslides. No damage was reported immediately following the earthquake. There is considered to be no tsunami risk after multiple earthquakes near Alaska on Tuesday (Dec. 1) morning. We want to hear what you think about this article. All Rights Kelly Bender and her husband, Mike, rely on summer tourism in Prince William Sound. On July 21, at 10:12 p.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 undersea earthquake struck ~65 miles south-southeast of the small town of Perryville, Alaska. This post appears courtesy of  High Country News. Alaskans have “thick skins” when it comes to disasters, he adds. A map on the U.S. Tsunami Warning System website shows tsunami warning areas in red. “It’s a new, emerging hazard, and that’s why it’s urgent to do an assessment of where we have these unstable slopes and where they are a hazard to people,” Liljedahl says. But near Whittier, the unstable slope in Barry Arm—a narrow, steep-walled fjord in Prince William Sound—is vastly more dangerous. With tons of rock and rubble precariously perched high above a nearby fjord, ready to crash into the sea, the town’s present is shaped by both its past and its preparations for an uncertain future. Several large aftershocks were also recorded at magnitudes 5.8, 5.7, 5.2 and 5.5. Officials at the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, began calling off tsunami advisories and warnings after a wave of only 25 centimeters (.8 … The warning was downgraded to an advisory within a few hours, and then was lifted entirely later Monday after waves about 2 feet high rolled onto the shore in some areas. Emergency sirens were activated in Alaska and the Kodiak Emergency Operations Center monitored the situation, CBS affiliate KTVA-TV reported. When do states certify their election results? When tsunami-warning sirens blare in Whittier, residents know to move swiftly away from the coast and head to higher ground. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami warning (red area) off Alaska, October 19, 2020 (NOAA) Sand Lake is about 923 miles from Anchorage and … From their waterfront office, she charters water taxis, fishing boats, kayaking, and sightseeing tours. Detecting and tracking unstable slopes can give local governments time to install warning systems, so scientists are working to identify unstable land; they’re focusing on monitoring landslides near communities in southeast and south-central Alaska. By MARK THIESSEN and CHEYANNE MUMPHREY July 22, 2020 1 of 4 Headlights from a line of cars shine at dusk as people evacuate the Spit in Homer, Alaska, following a powerful earthquake in the Aleutian Islands that prompted a tsunami warning. Such events are “worth worrying about regardless of climate change,” Higman says. The craggy alpine region of south-central Alaska is already thawing dramatically. And in Alaska, landslide-generated tsunamis are becoming more likely as many hillsides, formerly reinforced by glaciers and solidly frozen ground, loosen their hold on once-stable slopes. / CBS News. It caused no severe damage or injuries due to its location relative to the sparsely-populated Alaska Peninsula, but managed to trigger a negligible tsunami that prompted evacuation of coastal residences. A map of the magnitude 4.3 earthquake that struck southwest of Sitka on Nov. 23, 2020 (Source: Alaska Earthquake Center) A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck about 30 … The landslide in Barry Arm has been lurching toward the ocean since at least 1957, when Barry Glacier—which once gripped the base of the mountainside and held back the slope—first pulled its load-bearing ice wall out from under the rocky slope. On May 14, an Alaska Department of Natural Resources press release and a public letter from 14 scientists warned locals of a possible landslide-generated tsunami. Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Bretwood Higman, a geologist and executive director of Ground Truth Alaska, is working with other scientists to research climate change’s impact on landslide-triggered tsunamis. Some locals—like Denmark, the kayak outfitter—might prefer a quicker approach. But large landslides, like the one in Barry Arm? Melting ice has left one small town on the brink of disaster. Police in the city of Homer urged residents in low elevation areas to move to higher ground while the alert was in place. Mr. Fountain is a science writer and the author of “The Great Quake,” about Alaska’s deadly 1964 earthquake. NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim March 22 – 28, 2020 as: Tsunami Preparedness Week in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to become aware of, and prepared for, a tsunami hazard in their local areas, as we remember how Alaskans and others across the world have been affected by tsunamis in the past. Juneau, Alaska (AP) -- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake prompted a tsunami warning Monday for a nearly thousand-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern … Tucked against glacier-capped mountains, the Begich Towers loom over the former secret military port of Whittier, Alaska; more than 80 percent of the small town’s residents live in these Cold War–era barracks. This destabilization is being driven by climate change. A biker leads a line of cars driving off the Homer Spit at about on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Homer, Alaska after a tsunami evacuation order was issued for low-lying areas in Homer. The first earthquake, measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at a magnitude of 6.4, struck at 8:22 a.m. about 41 kilometres east south east of the small community of Nikolski in the state. Read: A major earthquake in the Pacific Northwest looks even likelier.