A small tsunami in England on 29 June, 2011

Yesterday, British media reported on a small tsunami that hit southwestern England at 10.15 BST. Wave heights reached around 30 cm in some bays but didn’t cause damages, BBC reports. Scientists from Plymouth University claimed an offshore landslide responsible for the rare phenomenon. The waves were seen in Cornawall, Devon and Hampshire.Not all tsunamites must necessarily point to earthquakes, as we already know from Storegga and other sites. Tsunamis can also be caused by volcanoes (Santorini), impacts, landslides and submarine slides, and meteorological phenomena. This is something one should have in mind when conducting paleoseismological studies.

Dave discusses possible sources of the tsunami in his landslide blog – must read! The story remains somehow strange.

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Christoph Grützner

Christoph Grützner

works at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Jena University. He likes Central Asia and the Mediterranean and looks for ancient earthquakes.

See all posts Christoph Grützner

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