Science Frontiers · extreme-science

Filed by Dr. Vera Quark

A massive landslide in Alaska triggered the second-highest tsunami ever recorded, sending water and debris 1,580 feet up a mountainside just hours after tourists visited the area. Scientists discovered that the disaster was preceded by several warning signs, including rapid glacier retreat, heavy rainfall, and thousands of tiny seismic tremors. As glaciers retreat, similar disasters could become a growing danger in mountainous coastal regions.