Anyone get this email from Fish & Game?
Apparently Woods Hole Oceangraphic institute was studying the glacier recession in Harriman Fjiord and the unsupported mountainside can now fall. This has the possibility to be far worse than even Lituya Bay at 1700 feet high.
linkMay 14, 2020A recently discovered unstable slope in Barry Arm could lead to a
landslide-generated tsunami
We, a group of scientists with expertise in climate change, landslides, and tsunami hazards, have
identified an unstable mountain slope above the toe of Barry Glacier in Barry Arm, 60 miles east of
Anchorage, that has the potential to fail and generate a tsunami. This tsunami could impact areas
frequented by tourists, fishing vessels, and hunters (potentially hundreds of people at one time). We
believe that it is possible that this landslide-generated tsunami will happen within the next year, and likely
within 20 years
The unstable slope in BarryArm is much bigger than either of these examples, and thus has the potential to produce a larger tsunami
that could have impacts throughout Prince William Sound.
Slopes like this can change from slow creeping to a fast-moving landslide due to a number of possible
triggers. Often, heavy or prolonged rain is a factor. Earthquakes commonly trigger failures. Hot weather
that drives thawing of permafrost, snow, or glacier ice can also be a trigger. Commonly, large landslides
are preceded by rockfalls and other signs of increasing instability.
We have only preliminary results showing the potential spread of the tsunami. The effects would be
especially severe near where the landslide enters the water at the head of Barry Arm. Additionally, areas
of shallow water, or low-lying land near the shore, would be in danger even further from the source. A
minor failure may not produce significant impacts beyond the inner parts of the fiord, while a complete
failure could be destructive throughout Barry Arm, Harriman Fiord, and parts of Port Wells. Our initial
results show complex impacts further from the landslide than Barry Arm, with over 30 foot waves in
some distant bays, including Whittier. Field measurements and further analysis could allow us to make
these estimates more accurate and specific.