The Åkernes crack in Norway grows up to three and a half centimeters per year. With a depth of 230 meters, it is already one of the most dangerous rock quarries in the world. Scientists believe that a rockfall at the site is only a matter of time and could trigger one of the largest tsunamis in history.
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A tsunami could happen in a few months or decades
- Forecasts said the waves would reach heights of more than 100 meters and engulf schools, hospitals and homes located in a region that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- However, scientists don’t know exactly when this would happen: it could be in a few months or even decades.
- Despite the risks, a warning system has been installed to ensure safe evacuation and new drainage technology could potentially stabilize the cliff.
- Information comes from National Geographic.
The city of Geiranger would be one of the cities most affected by the tsunami (Image: saiko3p/Shutterstock)
The authorities want to create a stabilization system to avoid tragedies
Around the world, rocky cliffs are filling with water due to increasing rainfall and melting glaciers caused by climate change. This increases the risk of tsunamis caused by rock falls.
Since the slippery broken stones cannot hold anything, they will inevitably fall. And in the narrow fjords of western Norway, boulders sliding down 800meterhigh cliffs would cause a massive impact and a massive tsunami.
According to the authorities, almost ten thousand people are at risk in this specific Norwegian case. In addition to monitoring the Åkernes rift, the Norwegian government is studying ways to stop a deadly tsunami. In other words, an attempt is being made to develop a stabilization system that directs rainwater away from the mountain.
In 1963, a boulder came loose from Monte Toc in Italy, hitting one of the world’s tallest dams and killing two thousand people. The tragedy led to the first successful landslide drainage system in Canada, followed by others in New Zealand and the Swiss Alps.
The continuous and constant runoff of rain from the mountain can create sufficient friction between rock fractures to temporarily stabilize the rock face. However, even the Norwegian authorities do not know how much time they have left to develop and implement this system.