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On August 10, Christine Smith was busy preparing breakfast aboard the David B, a small tour vessel that she and her husband, Jeffrey, operate in the stunning waters of Alaska. They had anchored in Ford’s Terror, a picturesque inlet branching off Endicott Arm, when an unexpected natural phenomenon began to unfold. With eight passengers on board for a multi-day excursion to explore the region’s awe-inspiring fjords and glaciers, the couple soon found themselves facing a potential disaster.
A Morning of Alarm
At approximately 6 a.m., Jeffrey Smith noticed an unusual surge of frothy water rushing toward the boat from the inlet’s entrance. “It was like a river running across the sandbar,” he recounted in an interview. The couple, seasoned operators who had anchored in that location for two decades, had never witnessed anything like it before. Although the David B remained securely moored in deeper water, the unusual inflow caused the boat to rise and fall dramatically, creating a sense of unease without alarming the passengers.
As the Smiths monitored the situation, they utilised their satellite link to gather information about the strange occurrence. Hours later, they received an explanation from Jacqueline Caplan-Auerbach, a seismologist and their neighbour in Bellingham, Washington. She informed them that a landslide had occurred, though it was located far from their position, at Tracy Arm, a different fjord about 75 kilometres away.
The Catastrophic Landslide
What initially seemed like a distant event would soon reveal its profound implications. Had the Smiths not altered their itinerary due to inclement weather and unfavourable tides, they could have found themselves directly in the path of the impending disaster.
The landslide, which took place shortly before 5:30 a.m., unleashed a tsunami that would devastate the surrounding area. Daniel Shugar, a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary and lead author of a recent study published in the journal Science, explained that the event was akin to someone making a cannonball dive into a hot tub. The sudden displacement of water surged upwards an estimated 480 metres—approximately 85 per cent the height of Toronto’s CN Tower—along the steep fjord banks.
The tsunami carved a path of destruction in Tracy Arm, uprooting trees and reshaping the landscape. The highest runup was recorded at a staggering height, surpassing even the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Fortunately, due to the time of day and the relatively low marine traffic, the impact on nearby vessels was limited. The National Geographic Venture, carrying 150 passengers, was stationed near the entrance of Tracy Arm and avoided the brunt of the wave, although Captain Thomas Morin reported feeling strong currents and observing the chaotic waters nearby.
Lasting Consequences and Future Risks
In the aftermath of the landslide, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey conducted aerial assessments to gauge the extent of the damage. The study underscored the potential for similar geological hazards to occur as glaciers rapidly retreat due to climate change. Over millennia, glaciers have sculpted steep valleys that descend into the sea, but as these ice masses diminish, the stability of canyon walls becomes increasingly compromised.
Dr. Shugar noted that the phenomenon they observed might become more frequent as glacial retreat continues, particularly given that the South Sawyer glacier lost several hundred metres of ice during the previous summer. The implications for both local ecosystems and maritime activity are concerning, prompting researchers to advocate for improved monitoring of unstable geological formations in popular tourist areas.
Dr. Caplan-Auerbach highlighted that seismic activity preceding the landslide showed a noticeable uptick in vibrations, which could serve as an early warning signal for future events. “Most of those are tiny earthquakes that we believe represent slip on the base of the landslide prior to failure,” she explained. The challenge lies in the adequacy of seismic stations to detect such occurrences.
Navigating a New Reality
The Tracy Arm tsunami is not an isolated incident. It follows a similar, more powerful event in Greenland’s Dickson fjord, suggesting that as climate change accelerates glacial melting, geological instability will become a pressing concern. Lynn Moorman, a geologist who was aboard a cruise ship in Tracy Arm just days prior to the landslide, stressed the need for greater awareness of geological hazards in tourist hotspots.
In the wake of the disaster, several cruise lines have opted to avoid Tracy Arm altogether to mitigate risks, highlighting the growing tension between tourism and natural safety.
Christine Smith reflected on her return to Tracy Arm two weeks post-disaster, noting the stark changes in the landscape where the wave had reshaped the area. “It was a very surreal scene,” she remarked. “Both humbling and scary, but it also kind of fills you with a sense of wonder and curiosity.”
Why it Matters
The events surrounding the Tracy Arm landslide serve as a crucial reminder of the intersection between climate change and geological stability. As glaciers continue to retreat, the risks of landslides and tsunamis in these breathtaking yet precarious environments are likely to increase. This underscores the urgent need for enhanced geological monitoring and risk assessment, especially in areas frequented by tourists. As we navigate a warming world, understanding these dynamics is essential for safeguarding both human lives and the delicate ecosystems that define our planet’s majestic landscapes.
