October 30, 2012 4:08 pm Should people living near large lakes
worry about tsunamis? New research shedding light on an ancient
tsunami triggered by an Alpine landslide into a Swiss lake
suggests that perhaps they should. Landlocked tsunamis are
possible if lakes get hit by large enough landslides or volcanic
collapses, for example. Live Science’s Charles Q. Choi describes
one ancient scenario in which this catastrophe played out: In
563 A.D., a rock fall took place in the mountains more than 45
miles (70 kilometers) from Geneva, according to two historical
accounts — one from St. Gregory of Tours, the other from Marius,
bishop of Avenches. The rock fall, known as the Tauredunum event
after a nearby fort, brought down boulders near where the Rhone
River enters Lake Geneva. The falling boulders destroyed several
villages. The disaster then went on to generate a tsunami in
Lake Geneva that drenched everything on the lake’s shore,
devastated villages, demolished the Geneva bridge and mills, and
even crashed over