Giant Iceberg Looms Over Greenland And Could Cause Tsunami

A village in Greenland has been partially evacuated after a huge iceberg has drifted close to its bay.

Residents of the village of Innaarsuit have been warned that homes could be swamped if the iceberg split, the BBC reports.

Officials have said they've never seen an iceberg so big, so have evacuated the homes of those living nearest to it.

Lina Davidsen of Greenland police, told Sky News: "Residents were evacuated in the early hours of Friday in fears that a flood would hit the place as a result of the broken iceberg.

"All the people in the danger area have been evacuated to a building that is further up in the village. The evacuation happened only because the iceberg is so close to the village."

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Meanwhile Susanne Eliassen, a member of the Innaarsuit council, said that although it wasn't uncommon for icebergs to be seen near the village, this one was much bigger.

She said: "This iceberg is the biggest we have seen... and there are cracks and holes that make us fear it can calve anytime.

"Nobody is staying unnecessarily close to the beach and all children have been told to stay in areas that are high up."

If it does 'calve' - or split - and end up in the sea, a tsumani could be triggered, hence the council feeling twitchy about residents who are living closest to the sea.

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Fortunately, according to local media, the iceberg has remained grounded and didn't move overnight; although if there is a change in weather, such as heavy rainfall, the iceberg could calve.

Experts have warned that iceberg break ups could become more common due to climate change, which means that tsunamis are also more likely.

Back in June, a four-mile-wide iceberg broke from a glacier in Greenland, the equivalent of three percent of the country's ice-loss happening in just half an hour.

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Professor David Holland from New York University, an expert in atmospheric and ocean science, said it was 'largest event' seen in over a decade in the country, describing it as a 'very complex, chaotic, noisy event'.

Sources: BBC; Sky News

Topics: climate change

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19