Landslide-triggered tsunamis – a review

Risk mitigation for landslide-triggered tsunamis (LTT) is impeded by high uncertainty regarding the location of triggering landslides and the expected wave heights. Hence, this review aims to comprehensively analyze the spatial distribution, landslide characteristics, generated wave heights, and impact on humans of 317 LTT published as a catalog in a data repository (Dohmen et al. 2025). A classification system for LTT is established based on the preparatory and triggering factors of the landslides: (1) earthquakes, (2) volcanic activity, (3) paraglacial conditions, (4) precipitation, (5) anthropogenic activities, and (6) unknown causes. LTT triggered by earthquakes and volcanic activity are the most frequent classes and account for the highest fatalities and greatest economic damage. The highest waves are generated in enclosed marine environments and inland waters, often caused by anthropogenic activities such as reservoir operations. To mitigate risks from LTT, it is essential to know the exact location of the triggering landslide before failure, which is not the case for most events. As data availability is limited for landslide characteristics—especially in submarine environments—there is a need for high-resolution bathymetric data to map and investigate tsunamigenic submarine landslides and link them to expected tsunami heights and potential impacts on coastal populations. ... mehrOffshore landslide susceptibility mapping is therefore recommended as a promising approach for identifying potential LTT failure locations.