From Mountains to Shores: Unprecedented Dangers Posed by Lake Tsunamis in the Age of Climate Change

Lake tsunamis are a phenomenon that occurs when a large volume of water suddenly changes position in a lake. These events, similar to their oceanic counterparts, are becoming increasingly common in areas with mountain glaciers, such as Alaska, USA, and British Columbia, Canada. While most lake tsunamis currently occur in remote locations with little threat to people or infrastructure, they could become more common in residential areas due to climate change.

As temperatures rise and glaciers and permafrost melt, the risk of landslides and lake tsunamis increases. For example, Portage Lake in Alaska is estimated to have a high risk of a lake tsunami. These events can cause significant damage, as seen in the 2020 landslide in British Columbia that created a 100 m high tsunami. In history, lake tsunamis have resulted in fatalities and destruction, such as the 1938 Lake Michigan tsunami that killed 5 people. The highest tsunami in history occurred in 1958 when a 524 m wave hit Alaska in a fjord.

Lake tsunamis can be generated by seismic activity, landslides, avalanches, glacier ruptures, delta collapses