A Sudden Landslide Triggered Alaska's 2025 'Mega-Tsunami.' Now, Scientists Have Identified Warning Signs to Predict Similar Events
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A massive landslide in Alaska's Tracy Arm fjord triggered a mega-tsunami in August 2025, resulting in a wave that reached approximately 1,580 feet. Researchers have now identified warning signs that could help predict similar events in the future, particularly as climate change increases the risk of landslides. The study highlights the importance of monitoring geological activity to enhance safety in vulnerable regions.
- ▪The landslide involved 2.3 billion cubic feet of rock and was the second-largest landslide-induced tsunami on record.
- ▪No injuries were reported from the event, which occurred early in the morning when few tourists were present.
- ▪Researchers found that small earthquakes occurred in the days leading up to the landslide, indicating potential warning signs.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
A Sudden Landslide Triggered Alaska’s 2025 ‘Mega-Tsunami.’ Now, Scientists Have Identified Warning Signs to Predict Similar Events Natural disasters like the one at Tracy Arm fjord, about 45 miles south of Juneau, could become more common as climate change alters frigid landscapes, according to researchers Sara Hashemi | Daily Correspondent May 26, 2026 2:23 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source A view of the landslide and tsunami aftermath a few days after the catastrophic events Cyrus Read / U.S. Geological Survey In the early morning hours of August 10, 2025, a massive landslide caused at least 2.3 billion cubic feet of rock—roughly 24 times the volume of the Great Pyramid of Giza—to plummet into Tracy Arm fjord.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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