Tsunamis more common than thought, scientists say
Shetland has been hit by at least two more tsunamis in the past 10,000 years than previously thought, and scientists are working to identify where the giant waves originated.
The Storegga submarine landslide off the coast of Norway is already known to have caused a 20-metre high tsunami to sweep across the isles around 8,200 years ago.
But scientists funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have now identified sands in Shetland that they say prove additional tsunamis hit the isles 5,000 and 1,500 years ago – potentially meaning that tsunamis are a more common occurrence than previously thought in the UK.
• See The Shetland Times on Friday for full story.
Graham Fleming
Hekla and other volcanoes are still very much active in Iceland. It would be interesting to find out where the tsunami of 1693 reached to.Maybe da cooncil should start planning for such an event, and have contingency plans laid out for the dust,stoor and smeek,that would smother the islands.It is now known that meteorite strikes have caused mega tsunamis across the globe and changed history,and maybe have been the cause of the great flood legend found in a number of cultures. Anyway stock up with another can of beans, winters coming and brexit to look forrit tae.As private Fraser used to say, We are all doomed,doomed I say!