Latest news with #tsunami
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
The European village visited by thousands of tourists a day and loved by filmmakers - but could one day be destroyed by 'the world's tallest tsunami'
A picturesque village visited by thousands of tourists everyday and favoured as a backdrop by filmmakers could one day cease to exist. Set amid magnificent mountains and a beautiful fjord, it is no surprise that Hellesylt has become a popular destination for cruise ships. It has even featured in the Mission Impossible franchise in an adrenaline packed scene showing Tom Cruise riding a motorbike off a mountaintop and falling through the sky. But if tourists want to get a glimpse of the charming village, it is best to book travel now rather than later. According to National Geographic, Hellesylt is at risk of being flooded by one of the 'tallest tsunamis in history'. The nearby mountain Åkerneset has a 230-foot split down its front making it 'one of the most hazardous rock fractures in the world'. Growing by as much as three and a half inches per year due to erosion, the rock is at risk of collapsing into the fjord below and triggering one of the 'tallest tsunamis in history'. Reaching an estimated 338 feet, the massive wave would swallow schools, hospitals and around 10,000 homes in nearby fjord villages, including Hellesylt. It is not known when the rockslide-induced tsunami will take place but an early warning system is already in place. Lasers pointed at Åkernes will detect even the smallest of movements, notifying up to 10,000 residents in nearby fjord villages including Hellesylt when they should evacuate their homes. A new drainage system that pumps water out of the mountain has also been installed in an attempt to stabilise the cliffside. Scientists believe that climate change will only increase the rate of erosion on Åkernes as the rock cliff fills up with water from rainfall and melting permafrost. For now, Hellesylt is still open to travellers who can marvel at its UNESCO-listed fjord landscape. One TripAdvisor user described it as the 'absolute highlight of my trip to Norway'. Popular activities in and around the quaint village include tours of the fjords by boat or kayak. Many also visit the Hellesyltfossen waterfall - one of the most photographed natural features in the area. The Hellesyltfossen waterfall is one of the most photographed natural features in the area Another visitor took to TripAdvisor said: 'We visited Hellesylt on a cruise, and to be honest I can't really say much about it apart from the fact that it is a stunningly beautiful village, with an impressive waterfall crashing through the centre of it. 'Paths allow you to view it from above and below, and you can also visit the church. 'The views speak for themselves, and I would definitely go again!' For those seeking a more thrilling adventure, Hellesylt's jagged landscape is the perfect playground for extreme sports including e-biking through the mountains and white water kayaking.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
The European village visited by thousands of tourists a day and loved by filmmakers – but could one day cease to exist
THERE'S a village in Norway that could one day be completely destroyed - although thousands of people still visit every day. Hellesylt is surrounded by valleys and mountains - one of which, called Åkerneset. 4 4 However, it is already eroding and if it collapses, could destroy the village. Hellesylt, in the northernmost part of Western Norway, isvisited by thousands of tourists during the summer months and has even been used as a backdrop in a a Mission Impossible movie. But for anyone wanting to get a glimpse of the village that has been called "stunningly beautiful", it's best to go sooner rather than later. According to National Geographic, there's a big crack down Åkerneset which has been called one of the most 'hazardous rock fractures in the world'. Due to erosion, part of the mountain will eventually slide into the fjord below possibly triggering one of the "tallest tsunamis in history." Nearby villages are prepared with early warning systems and other measures to evacuate - there's also new drainage technology that may potentially stabilise the cliffside. Thankfully, the village is still deemed safe for tourism. As for what to see in and around Hellesylt, the village is very near the famous Geirangerfjorden - a UNESCO-listed fjord. Thousands of tourists go to see Geirangerfjorden every day during the summertime - and tend to go through Hellesylt to do so. Hellesylt itself has been described as a 'charming village' with most holidaymakers going there to explore Norway's natural beauty. 4 Popular activities in and around Hellesylt include boat tours or kayaking on the fjords or as well as visiting the Hellesyltfossen waterfall. One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: "An absolute highlight of my trip to Norway. Such a beautiful village, the waterfall is glorious. "If you want to walk to the top bridge, do take the left hand path (by the church) for a gentle climb." Hellesylt was also used as a film set for Mission Impossible when it replicated the Austrian Alps. In Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, the snowy Hellesylt in Norway transformed into Austria for a very dramatic scene on a train. It takes place on the Rauma Railway, with lead actor Tom Cruise parachuting on to the roof of the speeding train and then fighting with the villain of the film, Gabriel. You can travel the route used for filming which goes from Andalsnes on the Norwegian coast to the village of Dombås in the mountains. The journey takes an hour and 40 minutes, and costs around £20. One Sun Writer reveals what it was like spending a week on a cruise around Norway. 4
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
Japan Puts Fukushima Soil in Prime Minister's Flower Beds to Show It's Safe
In March 2011, an earthquake triggered a massive tsunami along Japan's coast. The surging waters caused the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to lose power. As a result, the cooling systems of three reactors failed, and their cores experienced a partial meltdown, releasing radiation into the environment in the second worst nuclear accident in history. While the earthquake and tsunami claimed over 18,000 lives, the nuclear accident itself didn't cause any direct radiation deaths. However, 14 years later, Japan is still dealing with its consequences—including over 494 million cubic feet (14 million cubic meters) of slightly radioactive soil, equivalent to 11 Tokyo Domes. To demonstrate that the soil is now safe enough to repurpose, Japan announced on Tuesday plans to use some in the flower beds at the Prime Minister's office, as reported by Japan Today. The soil has been sitting at an interim storage facility near the Fukushima Daiichi complex since its removal during decontamination work, and the Japanese government is legally obliged to deal with the soil before 2045. The plan comes in the wake of public opposition to using the soil in Tokyo's public parks, pushing the government to abandon the plan. The Environment Ministry maintains that some of the soil is now safe enough to repurpose. Since the public is clearly not convinced, however, the government plans to demonstrate this firsthand by using the soil in flower beds as well as for other purposes near government offices, according to Japan Today. 'The government will take the lead in setting an example, and we will do so at the prime minister's office,' chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a meeting, as reported by the Guardian. Back in 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved Japan's plan to recycle about 75% of the slightly radioactive soil—'if demonstrated safe'—in infrastructure including railways, waste treatment sites, roads, seawalls, coastal protection, agricultural land, and land reclamation. During the soil task force meeting, the Environment Ministry said that the radioactive soil would be used in foundations and covered in a thick layer of regular topsoil, according to the AP. 'The IAEA is confident that as the Ministry of the Environment (MOEJ) continues to explore solutions in line with our recommendations, its evolving strategy for recycling and final disposal of removed soil and waste will remain consistent with IAEA Safety Standards,' agency director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated in an IAEA press release. Japan is also dealing with hundreds of millions of gallons of contaminated water, which operators used in 2011 to flood the nuclear reactors to mitigate the meltdown. In 2023, the IAEA approved Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, which the country began doing shortly after despite strong opposition from neighboring countries. In a similar demo to the forthcoming one, Japanese ministers ate fish from Fukushima to demonstrate that the discharge was not contaminating seafood. Evidently, many people need tangible proof that the government truly has their health and safety in mind. It remains to be seen whether this future demonstration will be enough to convince them.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Kelp, Pōhutukawa and other vegetation could slow down tsunamis
A typical New Zealand kelp forest. Photo: Supplied / GNS Science New research from GNS Science reveals natural ecosystems, such as kelp forests, can slow down the speed of tsunamis in New Zealand. The pilot study was carried out in Napier and looked at both natural and manmade tsunami defences along the coastline using computer simulated models. These mimicked the resistant forces of each ecosystem and compared the maximum inundation extent, flow depth and speed, and where areas may have been eroded and sediments deposited. The ecosystems, also known as bioshields, included kelp forest, Pohutukawa trees, a restored estuary, a sea wall, an artificial reef and a combination of vegetation types. Researchers found the most effective one for slowing down tsunami currents was a combination of natural bioshields. Lead researcher and GNS tsunami scientist Jean Roger told RNZ he had been wanting to do this study for years. He said that was because it can help coastal areas better understand what natural and artificial bioshields can be used to lessen the impact of tsunamis - which can damage infrastructure and smother natural environments in sediment. "We found that this friction produced by ecosystems may be able to reduce the floor speed of the tsunami - which is something very important," he said. Vegetation areas in Napier that were applied in the tsunami simulation. Photo: Supplied / GNS Science The modelled scenario showed a significant reduction in sediment transport around bridge infrastructure, which can weaken the piles and increase the risk of collapse. "We also did some sediment transport simulation to see what these ecosystems can provide in reducing sediment movement during an event. We found it will reduce it in some locations," said Roger. The research is preliminary, so he said they need to do many more simulations to be sure that there is a large impact on the reduction of tsunami speed. The researchers already knew that mangroves can reduce tsunami speed, but this is the first study to look at New Zealand ecosystems such as kelp forests and pohutakawa trees. Roger said these findings can benefit many coastal areas of New Zealand and should be considered by local councils. "We hope that this research will provide decision makers, including councils and industries, with science-backed solutions for resilience planning and land use decisions to have more consideration of the benefits of coastal ecosystems in terms of coastal protection," he said. While this study was based in Napier due to limited time and resource, Roger is keen to see it expanded further. "Following on from this research we hope to work closely with government and industry stakeholders to come up with the most effective tailored nature-based solutions for individual areas and circumstances," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Forbes
3 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Cretaceous Amber Deposits Reveal Large-Scale Tsunamis
Amber concentration in deep-sea sediments. Traces of tsunamis are hard to identify in the fossil record. Tsunami deposits along a coast are washed away or can be confused with other high-energy events, such as storms. In a new study, Aya Kubota and colleagues from the Geological Survey of Japan and Chuo University analyzed an extraordinarily rich amber-concentrated beds found in a quarry on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan. Between the grey layers of sand- and mudstone deposited on the seafloor, the yellow amber — fossil tree resin formed typically on land — sticks out. Based on radiometric dating of zircon grains preserved in tuff layers interbedded between the mudstone and amber beds, the entire sedimentary succession formed around 116 and 114 million years ago. So-called flame structures, which form when soft material is folded or flattened before fully hardening, help to explain how the strange amber deposits formed. Amber layers seen under fluorescent light and daylight show flattening of the single amber ... More fragments, suggesting they were deposited as still soft tree resin. In the early Cretaceous, while the region was a oceanic basin, large amount of tree resin was rapidly swept out from a nearby coast to the open ocean by the backwash from one or more tsunamis. The tree resin then sank to the seafloor where it was covered by a sediments, deforming the single fragments and preserving them as amber. Similar concentrations of material originating on land and transported to open waters may be helpful in finding further tsunamis, the researchers conclude. Most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes, when the seafloor shifts suddenly and displaces a large quantity of water, but they can also be triggered by a landslide, a volcanic eruption or a meteor impact. Modern databases list more than 2.000 tsunamis in the last 4.000 years. Most of these records are based on historical documents and likely underestimate the real number. Geological evidence can provide a deeper understanding of past extreme events and is critical for hazard preparation and risk assessment now and in the future. The study,"Neon Isotopes in Geothermal Gases From the Kenya Rift Reveal a Common Deep Mantle Source Beneath East Africa," was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Additional material provided by the Nature Publishing Group.
