It appears to be about the same size as the slide that occurred in Papua New Guinea, though no evidence of a tsunami has yet been found. Similar to the Santa Barbara collapse, the slide's speed of movement is not known. That could make a difference in determining whether it actually generated a tsunami or could create one in the future, said Jacques Locat of Quebec's Laval University. Though earthquakes are the most likely culprit behind such massive landslide, other factors such as water movement and unstable rock can cause slides. In those cases, there might not be much warning to nearby communities, researchers said.
Experts admit they are at an early stage in understanding the link between landslides and tsunamis.
But that doesn't mean the warnings should be dismissed, Locat said. The hazard is there. The basic thing we did was to show there have been some landslides in the past. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.