AN ANCIENT mega-landslide deep under the ocean has been uncovered which could cause a massive tsunami with “just a little shake in the wrong place”.
The hidden hazard was found in the Red Sea, perilously close to the coastlines of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
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Experts made the “unexpected” discovery as they explored 3,000 feet deep under water and spotted an unusual break in the seabed.
“Immediately, I realised that what we were looking at was the result of some geological force, which had broken the seafloor,” explained Professor Sam Purkis, from the Department of Marine Geosciences.
The team believe that the landslide probably happened about 500 years ago.
But researchers also think a tsunami was spawned from it back then and only took a matter of minutes to hit nearby shores.
They now fear history could repeat itself.
“Just a little shake in the wrong place and the whole wall could fail, leading to a much larger tsunami than occurred 500 years ago,” he warned.
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“That area of Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia, which are urbanising so rapidly, have certain hazards which haven’t been previously recognised, but they need to be, to avoid a future catastrophe.”
Further research of rock samples suggest that waves as high as 10-meters towered over Egypt’s coastline when it happened the first time round.
If it were to happen again, the waves could climb twice as high.
Scientists hope that Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, will heed their warning and make sure they have early warning systems ready for potentially devastating earthquakes and tsunami events.
Especially one Egyptian resort town which sits within in the wave’s path.
The research was published in Geophysical Research Letters journal.
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