Comprehensive disaster thread

rimrocker · Sep 16, 2024

Xerobull said: ↑

An ‘Unidentified Seismic Object’ Shook Earth for Nine Days—Now We Know What It Was

Scientists have traced a baffling monotonous planetary hum that lasted for nine days back to a glacier in Greenland

BY STEPHEN HICKS, KRISTIAN SVENNEVIG & THE CONVERSATION US

Dickson Fjord before (August 2023) (left) and after (September 2023) (right) the landslide.

Søren Rysgaard (left); Danish Army (right)
The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.

Earthquake scientists detected an unusual signal on monitoring stations used to detect seismic activity during September 2023. We saw it on sensors everywhere, from the Arctic to Antarctica.

We were baffled – the signal was unlike any previously recorded. Instead of the frequency-rich rumble typical of earthquakes, this was a monotonous hum, containing only a single vibration frequency. Even more puzzling was that the signal kept going for nine days.

Initially classified as a “USO” – an unidentified seismic object – the source of the signal was eventually traced back to a massive landslide in Greenland’s remote Dickson Fjord. A staggering volume of rock and ice, enough to fill 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, plunged into the fjord, triggering a 200-metre-high mega-tsunami and a phenomenon known as a seiche: a wave in the icy fjord that continued to slosh back and forth, some 10,000 times over nine days.

To put the tsunami in context, that 200-metre wave was double the height of the tower that houses Big Ben in London and many times higher than anything recorded after massive undersea earthquakes in Indonesia in 2004 (the Boxing Day tsunami) or Japan in 2011 (the tsunami which hit Fukushima nuclear plant). It was perhaps the tallest wave anywhere on Earth since 1980.

Pre- (30 minutes before) and post-landslide (7 minutes after) Planet Labs satellite images.

Planet Labs (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Our discovery, now published in the journal Science, relied on collaboration with 66 other scientists from 40 institutions across 15 countries. Much like an air crash investigation, solving this mystery required putting many diverse pieces of evidence together, from a treasure trove of seismic data, to satellite imagery, in-fjord water level monitors, and detailed simulations of how the tsunami wave evolved.

This all highlighted a catastrophic, cascading chain of events, from decades to seconds before the collapse. The landslide travelled down a very steep glacier in a narrow gully before plunging into a narrow, confined fjord. Ultimately though it was decades of global heating that had thinned the glacier by several tens of meters, meaning that the mountain towering above it could no longer be held up.

UNCHARTED WATERS
But beyond the weirdness of this scientific marvel, this event underscores a deeper and more unsettling truth: climate change is reshaping our planet and our scientific methods in ways we are only beginning to understand.

It is a stark reminder that we are navigating uncharted waters. Just a year ago, the idea that a seiche could persist for nine days would have been dismissed as absurd. Similarly, a century ago, the notion that warming could destabilise slopes in the Arctic, leading to massive landslides and tsunamis happening almost yearly, would have been considered far-fetched. Yet, these once-unthinkable events are now becoming our new reality.

As we move deeper into this new era, we can expect to witness more phenomena that defy our previous understanding, simply because our experience does not encompass the extreme conditions we are now encountering. We found a nine-day wave that previously no one could imagine could exist.

Before and after the landslide and tsunami.
Søren Rysgaard (left); Danish Army (right)
Traditionally, discussions about climate change have focused on us looking upwards and outwards to the atmosphere and to the oceans with shifting weather patterns, and rising sea levels. But Dickson Fjord forces us to look downward, to the very crust beneath our feet.

For perhaps the first time, climate change has triggered a seismic event with global implications. The landslide in Greenland sent vibrations through the Earth, shaking the planet and generating seismic waves that travelled all around the globe, within an hour of the event. No piece of ground beneath our feet was immune to these vibrations, metaphorically opening up fissures in our understanding of these events.

THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN
Although landslide-tsunamis have been recorded before, the one in September 2023 was the first ever seen in east Greenland, an area that had appeared immune to these catastrophic climate change induced events.

This certainly won’t be the last such landslide-megatsunami. As permafrost on steep slopes continues to warm and glaciers continue to thin we can expect these events to happen more often and on an even bigger scale across the world’s polar and mountainous regions. Recently identified unstable slopes in west Greenland and in Alaska are clear examples of looming disasters.

As we confront these extreme and unexpected events, it is becoming clear that our existing scientific methods and toolkits may need to be fully equipped to deal with them. We had no standard workflow to analyse 2023 Greenland event. We also must adopt a new mindset because our current understanding is shaped by a now near-extinct, previously stable climate.

As we continue to alter our planet’s climate, we must be prepared for unexpected phenomena that challenge our current understanding and demand new ways of thinking. The ground beneath us is shaking, both literally and figuratively. While the scientific community must adapt and pave the way for informed decisions, it’s up to decision-makers to act.
Click to expand...

Not a random disaster.

Ultimately though it was decades of global heating that had thinned the glacier by several tens of meters, meaning that the mountain towering above it could no longer be held up.
Click to expand...

https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/climate-related-disasters.319935/#post-14667044

Mango · Sep 16, 2024

The fire has been going for over four hours. Maybe they have the supply already shutoff, but there might be a good distance between the point that they shutoff supply and the location of the pipeline blowout.

A fire in a 20-inch pipeline carrying natural gas liquids must burn itself out, operator Energy Transfer says

DEER PARK, Texas (AP) — A fire in a 20-inch pipeline carrying natural gas liquids must burn itself out, operator Energy Transfer says

KingCheetah · Sep 18, 2024

Mango said: ↑

US billionaire plans submersible trip to Titanic wreck

A US luxury real estate billionaire and a deep-sea explorer are planning to travel in a submersible to explore the Titanic.

Ohio tycoon and adventurer Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, say they want to take a sub to a depth of around 3,800m (12,467ft) to see the shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The private submersible industry was rocked after five people were killed when a vessel built by OceanGate imploded en route to the Titanic last year.

The Titan submarine built by OceanGate was constructed of carbon fibre and was only certified to 1,300m, far short of the depths of the ocean floor where the Titanic wreck lay.

In June 2023 the vessel imploded while on a trip to the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate's chief executive Stockton Rush, 61, died on board alongside four other passengers: British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver.

Mr Rush was known for pushing the envelope when it came to safety, and he had ignored several warnings from advisers about potential issues with the Titan. Investigations by US and Canadian authorities are ongoing.

Mr Connor told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the proposed Triton expedition: “I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.”

The private submersible industry suffered after the Titan disaster, and the pair hope that a successful voyage will reignite interest.

OceanGate suspended operations and other firms reported cancelled orders and declining sales after the Titan implosion. Mr Lahey told the newspaper: “This tragedy had a chilling effect on people’s interest in these vehicles.”

A spokesman for Mr Connor’s company said on Tuesday that the proposed voyage would only take place once a vessel was fully certified by a marine organisation.

There is no timeframe for the planned expedition.

The pair plan to use a sub dubbed the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer – the “4000” refers to the depth in metres to which the craft can safely be deployed.

Mr Lahey co-founded Triton Submarines in 2008. Mr Connor is head of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm based near Dayton, Ohio...

Click to expand...

Buck Turgidson · Sep 21, 2024

Yall are all, and apparently everything is...

Xerobull · Sep 25, 2024

Friend of mine from Frisco sent me this:

Xerobull · Sep 26, 2024

KingCheetah · Oct 13, 2024

FSD 2024

B-Bob · Oct 13, 2024

KingCheetah said: ↑

FSD 2024
Click to expand...

Must. Keep. Going. Must. Complete. Mission.
This.... Issszzz.... Fiiiiiine.

KingCheetah · Oct 30, 2024

In photos: Devastating floods in Spain kill dozens

https://www.axios.com/2024/10/30/spain-flooding-photos-valencia-damage

KingCheetah · Oct 30, 2024

https://www.dw.com/en/morocco-flooding-lakes-in-sahara-desert-climate-change/g-70620223

B-Bob · Oct 30, 2024

KingCheetah said: ↑

Click to expand...

Never thought I would see a scene quite like that outside of a Roland Emmerich movie. Even Asheville, NC didn't have a pile of swamped cars resembling this.

rimrocker · Oct 31, 2024

Definitely not random.

ROXTXIA · Oct 31, 2024

Xerobull said: ↑

An ‘Unidentified Seismic Object’ Shook Earth for Nine Days—Now We Know What It Was

Scientists have traced a baffling monotonous planetary hum that lasted for nine days back to a glacier in Greenland

BY STEPHEN HICKS, KRISTIAN SVENNEVIG & THE CONVERSATION US

Dickson Fjord before (August 2023) (left) and after (September 2023) (right) the landslide.

Søren Rysgaard (left); Danish Army (right)
The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.

Earthquake scientists detected an unusual signal on monitoring stations used to detect seismic activity during September 2023. We saw it on sensors everywhere, from the Arctic to Antarctica.

We were baffled – the signal was unlike any previously recorded. Instead of the frequency-rich rumble typical of earthquakes, this was a monotonous hum, containing only a single vibration frequency. Even more puzzling was that the signal kept going for nine days.

Initially classified as a “USO” – an unidentified seismic object – the source of the signal was eventually traced back to a massive landslide in Greenland’s remote Dickson Fjord. A staggering volume of rock and ice, enough to fill 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, plunged into the fjord, triggering a 200-metre-high mega-tsunami and a phenomenon known as a seiche: a wave in the icy fjord that continued to slosh back and forth, some 10,000 times over nine days.

To put the tsunami in context, that 200-metre wave was double the height of the tower that houses Big Ben in London and many times higher than anything recorded after massive undersea earthquakes in Indonesia in 2004 (the Boxing Day tsunami) or Japan in 2011 (the tsunami which hit Fukushima nuclear plant). It was perhaps the tallest wave anywhere on Earth since 1980.

Pre- (30 minutes before) and post-landslide (7 minutes after) Planet Labs satellite images.

Planet Labs (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Our discovery, now published in the journal Science, relied on collaboration with 66 other scientists from 40 institutions across 15 countries. Much like an air crash investigation, solving this mystery required putting many diverse pieces of evidence together, from a treasure trove of seismic data, to satellite imagery, in-fjord water level monitors, and detailed simulations of how the tsunami wave evolved.

This all highlighted a catastrophic, cascading chain of events, from decades to seconds before the collapse. The landslide travelled down a very steep glacier in a narrow gully before plunging into a narrow, confined fjord. Ultimately though it was decades of global heating that had thinned the glacier by several tens of meters, meaning that the mountain towering above it could no longer be held up.

UNCHARTED WATERS
But beyond the weirdness of this scientific marvel, this event underscores a deeper and more unsettling truth: climate change is reshaping our planet and our scientific methods in ways we are only beginning to understand.

It is a stark reminder that we are navigating uncharted waters. Just a year ago, the idea that a seiche could persist for nine days would have been dismissed as absurd. Similarly, a century ago, the notion that warming could destabilise slopes in the Arctic, leading to massive landslides and tsunamis happening almost yearly, would have been considered far-fetched. Yet, these once-unthinkable events are now becoming our new reality.

As we move deeper into this new era, we can expect to witness more phenomena that defy our previous understanding, simply because our experience does not encompass the extreme conditions we are now encountering. We found a nine-day wave that previously no one could imagine could exist.

Before and after the landslide and tsunami.
Søren Rysgaard (left); Danish Army (right)
Traditionally, discussions about climate change have focused on us looking upwards and outwards to the atmosphere and to the oceans with shifting weather patterns, and rising sea levels. But Dickson Fjord forces us to look downward, to the very crust beneath our feet.

For perhaps the first time, climate change has triggered a seismic event with global implications. The landslide in Greenland sent vibrations through the Earth, shaking the planet and generating seismic waves that travelled all around the globe, within an hour of the event. No piece of ground beneath our feet was immune to these vibrations, metaphorically opening up fissures in our understanding of these events.

THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN
Although landslide-tsunamis have been recorded before, the one in September 2023 was the first ever seen in east Greenland, an area that had appeared immune to these catastrophic climate change induced events.

This certainly won’t be the last such landslide-megatsunami. As permafrost on steep slopes continues to warm and glaciers continue to thin we can expect these events to happen more often and on an even bigger scale across the world’s polar and mountainous regions. Recently identified unstable slopes in west Greenland and in Alaska are clear examples of looming disasters.

As we confront these extreme and unexpected events, it is becoming clear that our existing scientific methods and toolkits may need to be fully equipped to deal with them. We had no standard workflow to analyse 2023 Greenland event. We also must adopt a new mindset because our current understanding is shaped by a now near-extinct, previously stable climate.

As we continue to alter our planet’s climate, we must be prepared for unexpected phenomena that challenge our current understanding and demand new ways of thinking. The ground beneath us is shaking, both literally and figuratively. While the scientific community must adapt and pave the way for informed decisions, it’s up to decision-makers to act.
Click to expand...

Xerobull · Oct 31, 2024

ROXTXIA said: ↑

Click to expand...

I don't understand...

KingCheetah · Oct 31, 2024

ThatBoyNick · Dec 29, 2024

At least 122 people dead in South Korea plane crash

Boeing 737

FrontRunner · Dec 29, 2024

ThatBoyNick said: ↑

At least 122 people dead in South Korea plane crash

Boeing 737
Click to expand...

That sounds absolutely awful.

Xerobull · Dec 29, 2024

Elementary school in Alvin hit by a tornado yesterday at 1 pm. Total loss. If it wasn’t a holiday break it would have been full of 600 kids and staff.

KingCheetah · Jan 16, 2025

KingCheetah · Jan 16, 2025

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