An unstable slope above Prince William Sound is dropping faster. A complete failure could cause a tsunami. - Anchorage Daily News

Last month, scientists noticed new movement on an unstable slope in Prince William Sound, but they’re uncertain where that new movement may lead.

The steep slope is located in the Barry Arm fjord, in a narrow stretch of water in Prince William Sound.

Geological Survey who leads the Prince William Sound Landslide Hazards Project, said in late August, scientists noticed a portion of the unstable area began to move.

“We don’t like to see landslides accelerate; that makes us a little bit nervous,” Staley said.

“We don’t want to be overly alarmist and say this is something that is inevitably going to end in a catastrophic failure because there’s a strong chance that it won’t, but we do want to keep an eye on the landslide,” he said.

“We don’t want our crews in harm’s way should there be any kind of failure,” Staley said.

The unstable slope area along Barry Arm within Prince William Sound is outlined in yellow.

The impacts of the slope’s possible failure depend on the size of the area that crashes into the water and how much water it would displace, Higman said.

“We don’t know enough about it to even pretend like we can tell anyone what they should do,” Higman said.