Day the Earth Moved: Massive Alaska Landslide Could be North America's Largest Ever

An Alaskan landslide was so massive that it created an earthquake that registered on seismic devices around the world—yet the incredible event wasn't discovered until a month later.

The mammoth, five-mile-long landslide happened in a remote region of Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and was so immense in scale that it was detected on earthquake monitors thousands of miles away. Although the slide took place on June 11, it wasn't until this week that a pilot who was flying over the area noticed the monumental geophysical event.

When a cliff collapsed in the park in Southeast Alaska, it sent millions of tons of rock and ice coursing down the valley and over a nearby glacier in what could be the largest landslide recorded in North American history. The landslide took place in a remote valley beneath the 11,750 foot Lituya Mountain in the Fairweather Range about six miles from the border with British Columbia, Canada.

If any humans had been standing at the base of the valley when the landslide took place, the air blast created by the impact would have blown them possibly hundreds of feet into the air, killing them instantly.

The region near Lituya Mountain has been the scene of extraordinary geophysical events before. In 1958, a landslide on the other side of the mountain produced a gigantic tsunami in a small but deep bay that was estimated to have reached an unbelievable 1,700 feet, which would be one of the largest waves recorded in modern history. 

Going Rogue: Alaska School Covers "Naughty" Statue

A school in Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, has been accused of "going rogue" after complaints that a statue dedicated in front of the school resembles a certain female body part!

The sculpture, called The Warrior Within, began to draw snickers from students and even faculty members soon after it was installed near the school's entrance. Students began to immediately compare it to the female genitalia, causing the students, teachers and parents alike embarrassment each time they passed the 12.5 foot high sculpture, which is carved from stone and concrete and was commissioned by the school for a reported $100,000.

The sculpture's perceived resemblance to a female body part comes from the two carved shields -- one made of bronze, the other aluminum -- that are surrounded by feathers that form the focal point. Three days after the work of art's dedication, the school decided to cover up the sculpture with a large tarpaulin, ostensibly in an effort to "protect the art work from vandals".  The sculpture was later unveiled again, after the artists responsible planned to educate the public on the real meaning of their work of art.

This all seems like that episode of Everyone Loves Raymond, when Raymond's mom creates that unique sculpture for her art class...

North to Alaska: Ferocious Storm to Hit Alaska Could Be "Worst in History"

A highly dangerous storm is bearing down on Alaska, and meteorologists are warning that it could be one of the worst storms ever to hit the state.

The National Weather Service out of Fairbanks has dubbed the tempest "the Bering Sea Superstorm" and are warning citizens to prepare for hurricane force winds, severe beach erosion, and major coastal flooding from an unprecedented storm surge. Other areas of the state will also be facing intense blizzard conditions, with heavy snowfall and high-velocity winds expected. “This will be one of the most severe Bering Sea storms on record,” the National Weather Service warned today. “This storm has the potential to produce widespread damage.”

Local authorities cautioned that the storm would be potentially life-threatening, and advised people to prepare now with food and fresh water supplies and to take shelter within their homes during the storm. A ban on non-essential travel will also be in place. A direct hit is expected on the town of Nome, where conditions will resemble a snow hurricane.

Due to the storm, the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System that is to take place tomorrow has been canceled in Alaska.

Alaskan Seals Arriving on Beach Dying from Mystery Disease

Photo Credit: National Geographic

US environmental agencies are investigating the cause of a mystery illness that is killing seals in Alaska. Since July, over 107 ringed seals have been found dead, while countless others have been spotted suffering from loss of fur and skin lesions covering their mouths and flippers. Others have shown signs of intense lethargy and labored breathing before dying.

Similar cases of the mystery illness have been reported in Russia and Canada, as well as in some walruses in Alaska. Laboratory tests to discover the disease's origin have so-far proven "inconclusive," and officials said it is not known if the condition can be passed from the seals to human beings. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in the US has advised local indigenous people as well as tourists not to eat or handle any sick animals until more is known about what is causing the deaths.