Landslides and tsunamis aren’t historically common in Glacier Bay, but because more than half a million visitors tour the park each year park managers want to get a clearer picture of the risks of tsunamis and landslides, which have become more common recently due to a changing climate.
The rapid retreat of Barry Glacier, 28 miles northeast of Whittier, could release millions of tons of rock into Harriman Ford and generate a large tsunami in Prince William Sound, according to Alaska's top geologist.
“It was a beautiful event that we were lucky to have survived,” Andrew Hooper said.
On the edge of the Third Pole, a retreating glacier draws tourists and worries over climate change.
A powerful wave as tall as 55-storey building crashed through a fjord in Alaska in 2015, stripping the mountainsides of trees and dirt. It was triggered by a landslide — and researchers say such tsunamis could pose an increasing risk in places like Western Canada as climate change melts glaciers.
The town of Nuugaatsiaq on Greenland's west coast was hit by a tsunami on Sunday devastating the town and the people living there. The people were evacuated by helicopters.
Over the past 50 years, some of Glacier National Park's namesake glaciers have shrunk by as much as 85 percent.
Observations From Members 