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Second-Highest Tsunami on Record Struck Alaska in 2025

A landslide from a glacier sent more than 100 million tons of rock into Tracy Arm fjord in August 2025, generating a 1,580-foot wave. The event occurred at 5 a.m. when no cruise ships were present in the tourist area. Scientists said improved glacier monitoring could help identify risks from such events.

Semafor
1 source·May 11, 6:52 AM·1m read
Second-Highest Tsunami on Record Struck Alaska in 2025Semafor
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A landslide from a glacier dropped more than 100 million tons of rock into Tracy Arm fjord in August 2025, producing a 1,580-foot wave that ranks as the second-highest tsunami ever recorded. , a time when no cruise ships were in the area despite the fjord's popularity with tourists.

Traditional tsunami warning systems would have provided no advance notice because the wave followed the landslide by seconds rather than hours. Scientists said better monitoring of glaciers could help detect high-risk areas before a collapse occurs.

Similar landslide-tsunami events have killed people in Norway and Greenland. As climate change accelerates the melting of glaciers, Arctic countries face increasing chances of such incidents leading to disasters. The U.S. Geological Survey released images documenting the landslide site. No injuries or damage were reported from the Alaska event.

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