Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
In September 2023, scientists detected a unique seismic signal across the globe, from the Arctic to Antarctica. Unlike typical earthquake rumbles, this signal was a continuous hum at a single vibration frequency, lasting for nine days.
At first, the seismic signal puzzled scientists. Classified as a "USO" — unidentified seismic object — it was unlike anything previously observed, leading researchers to investigate its source.
Eventually, the mysterious hum was traced to a massive landslide in Greenland’s remote Dickson Fjord. A massive rock and ice collapse, equivalent to the volume of 10,000 Olympic swimming pools, caused the event.
The landslide triggered a 200-meter-high mega-tsunami, double the height of London’s Big Ben. This also caused a seiche — a standing wave that oscillated in the fjord for nine days, generating the prolonged seismic signal.
Scientists linked the landslide to the thinning of the glacier in Greenland due to global warming. Over decades, the glacier lost tens of meters in thickness, destabilizing the mountain and leading to its collapse.
A study in *Science* explained how the signal resulted from standing waves in the fjord, caused by the landslide. The paper emphasized how climate change is triggering hazardous interactions between glaciers, oceans, and the Earth’s crust.
When the glacier collapsed, it sent vibrations through the Earth, causing seismic waves that were felt across the planet. The event demonstrated the far-reaching effects of environmental changes caused by global warming.
The landslide in Dickson Fjord highlights the increasing risks posed by climate change. As glaciers thin and permafrost warms, scientists warn that similar events, such as landslides and tsunamis, may become more frequent in polar regions.