Devastating Threat: Giant 100-meter tsunami could erase Norwegian city from the map
The Geirangerfjord faces the imminent threat of a collapse that could trigger one of the largest tsunamis ever recorded globally. This is due to the severe cracking of the neighboring mountain, Akerneset, which increases its length by nine centimeters annually. The catastrophe could unfold in a few decades or, worryingly, in a matter of months.
The collapse of the Akernes fissure threatens to trigger one of the most violent tsunamis in history, measuring 100 meters high - Photo Reproduction/Getty Images
The unpredictability of nature often reminds us of our vulnerability in the face of catastrophic events. Scientists recently issued a warning about an imminent threat looming over the small town of Geiranger and its namesake Geirangerfjord in western Norway. According to information from National Geographic, a gigantic wave could sweep through this paradisiacal region if a section of the Åkernes mountain collapses. The catastrophe could occur in a few decades or even a few months.
The Factors Behind the Threat
Like many Norwegian towns, it is bathed by sea waters that form a fjord — an arm of the ocean surrounded by imposing mountains, including Åkernes Mountain. This one gained notoriety by becoming one of the most watched mountains in the world, due to a fissure that bears the name of the mountain itself, Åkernes. This crack is about 70 meters deep and widens nine centimeters every year.
An extensive network of sensors and online cameras monitors every movement, while scientists are continually refining methods to predict possible cave-ins on this mountain, now considered one of the most dangerous on the planet. This is due to the imminent risk of triggering a gigantic tsunami, one of the largest in history, with waves 100 meters high, which in addition to the inevitable loss of life, would devastate local infrastructure, including buildings, schools, hospitals and houses located in classified locations. as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mitigation and Prevention Measures
The main concern is the ability of the rocks that fall into the waters of the fjord to generate ripples that could threaten the safety of residents. It can take months or decades. But cities at risk are prepared. In the event of a collapse, Norway is equipped with an advanced early warning system. If sensors identify the slightest sign of movement, sirens will be activated, giving residents just a few minutes to evacuate to safety. New drainage technology could also potentially stabilize the cliffside.
How Climate Change Is Destabilizing the Cliffs
Cliffs around the world are accumulating water due to increased rainfall and melting permafrost, consequences of climate change. This has led to an increase in tsunamis caused by rockslides. Under the surface, these mountains have a mosaic pattern. Without a base to contain the slippery, brittle rocks, they recede.
In the narrow fjords of western Norway, rockslides along 2,600-foot-high cliff walls compress water, channeling energy upward and significantly amplifying the height of tsunamis triggered by falling rocks. Less intrusive early warning systems indicate that Åkernes is gradually giving way due to a series of landslides. Without a barrier between the mountain and the ocean, these landslides could generate smaller-scale but still dangerous tsunamis.
In both scenarios, once the lasers remotely monitoring the fissure's every movement indicate even a slight acceleration, up to 10,000 residents living in villages along the fjord, from Geiranger through Stranda to Tafjord, and even some coastal areas in the city from Ålesund, will be evacuated and relocated from their homes. Since all rock slides occur prior to collapse, these early warnings should provide enough time for people to evacuate before the final disaster.
In addition to monitoring Åkernes, Norway is exploring ways to prevent a lethal tsunami, notably a costly but highly promising stabilization system. This system would channel rainwater away from the mountain, resembling a method first used successfully in 1987 near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.
Thanks to these early warning systems, scientists say locals — and the throngs of tourists who visit while they can — face no immediate danger from Åkernes. Rock slides and avalanches (it once took 12 seconds to bury Åkernes's farm) are part of its history. However, this event could prove to be the most devastating the region has ever witnessed, especially at the far end of the intricate fjord system. There, where the steep cliff touches the clouds and the water rushes into the depths of the Grand Canyon, lies one of Norway's most picturesque villages, Geiranger.
