Storegga Slide facts for kids
The Storegga Slides were three huge landslides that happened a very long time ago. These landslides occurred deep under the water, off the coast of Norway. They took place in the Norwegian Sea, which is an ocean area between Norway, Greenland, and north of Great Britain.
These massive underwater slides caused a giant tsunami in the North Atlantic Ocean. Imagine a piece of the seafloor about 290 kilometers (180 miles) long breaking off! The amount of rock and mud that slid was huge. It was like covering an area the size of Iceland with a layer of debris 34 meters (112 feet) deep.
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What Caused the Storegga Slides?
Scientists have studied the Storegga Slides a lot. They believe the slides happened because of material that built up during the last ice age. This material became unstable over time. Many scientific studies support this idea.
When Did the Last Slide Happen?
The most recent Storegga Slide happened around 6100 BC. Scientists know this by using carbon dating. They tested old plant material found in the mud left behind by the tsunami.
The Giant Tsunami's Impact
The tsunami caused by the Storegga Slide was enormous. It traveled across the North Atlantic Ocean. In Scotland, traces of this huge wave have been found. Scientists discovered layers of sand and mud left by the tsunami.
These layers were found in places like the Montrose Basin and the Firth of Forth. The tsunami reached up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) inland. It also reached 4 meters (13 feet) higher than normal tide levels. This shows how powerful the wave was.
Studying the Slides for Safety
The Storegga Slides were carefully investigated when the Ormen Lange natural gas field was being developed. This gas field is located near where the slides happened. It was important to know if drilling for gas could cause another slide.
Scientists concluded that a new slide would only be possible after another ice age. This means the gas field development would not significantly increase the risk. A new slide would cause a very large tsunami. This would be devastating for coastal areas around the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea.
Images for kids
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The yellow numbers give the height of the tsunami wave as tsunamites recently studied by researchers.
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Storegga tsunami deposits (grey upper layer), bracketed by peat (dark brown layers), taken at Maryton on the Montrose Basin, Scotland
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See also
In Spanish: Deslizamientos de Storegga para niños
