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this glacier threatens to collapse and trigger a giant tsunami

The unstable slope of a glacier in Alaska poses the risk of a tsunami in the region. If millions of tonnes of material fall into the fjord, a wave of more than 30 meters could threaten hundreds of thousands of people.

The glacier Barry, Alaska, about 96 kilometers east of the largest city in Anchorage State, is of particular concern to a group of scientists. In a letter, available here, they warn that the region is under threat from a tsunami in the next twenty years. The cause ? A slope made particularly unstable by the melting ice-creams. More than 290,000 people are threatened.

A 30 meter high wave

Scientists observed the evolution of the Barry Glacier between 2009 and 2015. During this short period of time, the glacier slowly slid towards the fjord Harriman. He has covered more than 180 meters in 6 years. But it's the whole slope that threatens to collapse. Scientists believe that earthquake, an even warmer summer or excess snow could destabilize the millions of tonnes of rocks and ice and precipitate them into the waters of the fjord. In 1964, theepicenter of a earthquake of magnitude 9.2 was located in Prince William Sound.

According to their estimate, a wave more than thirty meters high could form in the fjord and break within a radius of 80 kilometers. The area also includes Anchorage, the most populous city in the state. Researchers are unable to say when this is likely to happen, but as northern regions, and therefore Alaska, warm up much faster than the rest of the planet, retreating glaciers and its consequences become a major concern.

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