Massive Alaska megatsunami was second largest ever recorded

What Actually Happened

The timing matters as much as the event itself. In a science environment already under strain, the development reported here arrives at one of the worst possible moments.

Share Save Add as preferred on Google Kate Stephens , Helen Briggs and Kevin Church , Climate and Science team A massive 'megatsunami' wave created when part of an Alaskan mountain crumbled into the sea is the second tallest ever recorded – and a reminder of the risks posed by melting glaciers, say scientists.. Last summer a giant wave swept through a remote fjord in southeast Alaska leaving destruction in its wake.. The event went largely unreported at the time, but a new scientific analysis shows it was caused by a massive landslide..

The Long Run-Up

An incredible 64 million cubic metres of rock – the equivalent of 24 Great Pyramids - splashed into the water below.. The sheer power of that amount of rock plunging into the fjord in under a minute created a gigantic wave almost 500 metres tall.. Only the time it happened – in the early hours of the morning – prevented tourist cruise ships being caught up in the devastation, say the researchers.

Winners, Losers, and Bystanders

Not all parties to this story face the same outcome. The immediate consequences fall unevenly — some actors are positioned to absorb the shock, others are not. Following the incentive structures reveals why this story landed when it did, and why certain responses were inevitable.

The institutional players involved have interests that do not always align with those of ordinary people in the science space. That gap is part of why developments like this one keep recurring.

The Numbers Behind the Story

Context matters here. The science landscape has shifted substantially over the past several years, driven by a combination of structural forces that predate any single event or decision.

The trajectory has been visible to those tracking the data closely. What BBC Science & Environment documented is not an anomaly — it is a data point in a longer arc.

Next Steps and Open Questions

Several outcomes now become more likely as a result of what has unfolded. The variables are not all knowable, but the range of plausible scenarios has narrowed.

Key questions remain open: the pace of any response, the willingness of relevant actors to change course, and whether the underlying conditions will shift or hold. The answers will become clearer in the weeks ahead.

Originally reported by BBC Science & Environment.