13 
Fig. 3.3.3: Analogue records of the Cuxhaven gauge station from 11 to 21 November, 1929. 
Curve 19 indicates the day after the Newfoundland slide (Wasser- und 
Schifffahrtsamt Cuxhaven). 
A dramatic scenario of a hypothetical submarine slide on the North-West European 
continental margin followed by a catastrophic tsunami has been described by Bryant (Bryant 
2001). The UK report (Kerridge 2005) is less dramatic in its discussion of submarine slides in 
this area. Nevertheless, the authors do consider these slides a potential hazard for the Irish 
and Scottish coasts, but allocate a low probability of occurrence to such events. 
On the Canary Islands, evidence for major underwater slides and deposits attributable to a 
tsunami event has been found onshore at a height of 35-75 m (Bryant 2001). However, the 
probability of future tsunami events is discussed controversially (Ward et al. 2001, Wynn et 
al. 2003 and 10.1: TUD06). Model computations of Ward et al. (2001) do not show any 
significant waves in the Channel or near Scotland caused by a tsunami propagating from the 
Canary Islands. 
Another event occurred in Alaska (Lituya Bay, 1958), where 0.3 km 3 of rock slid into the bay 
from 600-900 m height, causing a wave run-up of 524 m on the opposite side of the bay 
(Bryant 2001). The wave travelling out of the bay into the open ocean was about 30 m high 
(Mader 2004). In principle, such rock slides generate substantially higher tsunami than 
submarine slides (Sabatier 1986, Fine et al. 2003). Tsunami of such origin have also 
occurred in Norwegian fjords, but their energy has been much lower. 
3.4 Meteoritic impacts 
About 8,200 (±200) years ago, a swarm of meteorites struck the Earth. According to 
geological studies and ancient myths, seven regions of the Earth were hit. One of them is 
located between Iceland and Norway (Bryant 2001). 
In seismic data of the North Sea, Allen (Stewart et al. 2002) identified an impact crater dating 
back 60-65 million years (Silverpit structure). Although the asteroid reconstructed from the 
data was small, it was big enough to generate a tsunami in the North Sea (10.3: LOR02). 
In 1993, the underwater meteoritic crater Mjolnir was discovered in the Barents Sea. The 
impact was dated at the Volgian-Ryazanian boundary (Smelror et al. 2001) i.e. about