THE LANDSLIDE TSUNAMI OF NOVEMBER 3, 1994, SKAGWAY-HARBOR, ALASKA

We show that the tsunami of November 3, 1994 in Skagway, Alaska, was g enerated by an underwater landslide formed during the collapse of a cr uise ship wharf undergoing construction at the head of Taiya Inlet. Th is event occurred at a time of extreme low tide and was not associated with a regional seismic event or incoming oceanic tsunami. Persistent wave motions with an amplitude of 1 m and a period of 3 min recorded by a tide gauge in Skagway Harbor following the landslide are linked t o the formation of a cross-inlet seiche and quarter-wave resonance wit hin the harbor. The high Q factor for the harbor (Q approximate to 20) indicates weak dissipation and strong resonance within the harbor.