The rapid deterioration of Barry Glacier, which is located 28 miles Northeast of Whittier, was caused by current global conditions.
Millions of tons of rock could be released unto Harriman Ford by the event. This would produce a large tsunami in Prince William Sound, said Alaska's top geologist.
Imminent risk of a large and possibly dangerous tsunami that will cause catastrophic effects on people in the Sound was discovered by Steve Masterman, director of the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGG) and his staff along with another group.
An impending disaster
According to experts, the disaster is likely to occur within 20 years, which was included in a letter from the working group that assisted the team, Newsminer reported.
Several sedimentary rock layers surround the area of Barry Arm and are fused with the southern shore of mainland Alaska by plate tectonics. The location contains plenty of faults and cracks, all of which eroded even further by the movements of the glaciers and continued to crack.
As the Barry Glacier deteriorates, the supports for the valley walls continue to decline, which results in falling rocks and landslides that in turn generate tsunamis.
The news release states that DGGG aims to generate information on state mineral resources through their efforts as well as ensure the safety of Alaskans from the likes of geologic hazards. The news of the landslide threat was provided to Alaska geologists two weeks ago after significant movement in the area was observed by researchers from Woods Hole Research Center.
Special assistant in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Rick Gree, said the area if a popular location for boaters that serve commercial, sport, personal, or subsistence fishing and shrimping which along with recreational boaters and campers.
Green shares that more than 500 people may gather in the area at any given time, which are all at risk in the event of a landslide-induced tsunami.
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An accurate prediction of when a landslide will happen is impossible. However, factors such as rainfall, snowfall, seismic activity, or a combination thereof, can lead to a landslide event. Chances of these events are further increased by the continuous retreat of the glaciers, Masterman added.
Masterman, along with other scientific organizations, will continue to conduct experiments which may predict a potential tsunami's extent and route. One way they are looking at is by placing solar-powered GPS monitors on possible landslide faces which will detect any increase in movements that are similar to those that precede catastrophic landslide events.
Following history
Historically, a 1958 landslide that created a 1,700 feet high wave happened in Lituya Bay Fiord and travelled to the other side of the fiord. Masterman said, "The most recent was at Southeast Alaska's Taan Glacier in 1915, where a wave went 600 feet up the opposite side of the glacial valley."
According to Geology.com, an earthquake along the Fairweather Fault in the Alaska Panhandle on the night of July 9, 1958, caused the loosening of nearly 40 million cubic yards of rock in the Northeastern shore of Lituya Bay.
The resulting rockfall fell from a height of 3,000 feet into waters of Gilbert Inlet which then generated the massive tsunami that is considered to be the world's tallest tsunami at 1,720 feet.
