A research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada has recently learned that icebergs can cause landslides on the ocean floor. And that discovery could have far-reaching impacts on offshore oil and gas development as well as communications in the far north.
Dr. Alex Normandeau investigated the cause of a sub-marine landslide in Southwind Fjord on Baffin Island back in the 2018-2019 research season. What his team found was that the landslide was closely associated with an iceberg that had recently capsized.
He says they watched as the iceberg, which was touching bottom, rolled over, creating a big landslide that travelled further down into the water.
The ocean bottom is scoured with iceberg trails, but researchers were not aware that icebergs could actually trigger underwater landslides. That information Normandeau says will be valuable as northern areas see greater development.
He says with ongoing discussions on connecting northern communities with sub-marine internet cables, they need to be aware of what hazards lie on the seafloor. “Currently only 20 per cent of the global ocean is mapped, and so we know very little about the hazards on the seafloor,” he says. That makes any information they are able to gather all the more important.