Australia: Slab of Barrier Reef sea floor breaking off - Scientists

Marine geologists of James Cook University, Australia, have warned that a large slab of sea floor near the Great Barrier Reef could break off and cause a tsunami, reports AFP. Geologist Robin Beaman said it is not known, when the collapse would happen, but when it does, it "will generate a localised tsunami that will affect the Queensland coastline, which is around 70 kilometres (40 miles) away."

"Undersea landslides are a well understood geological process but we didn't know there were any on the Barrier Reef," geologist Robin Beaman told AFP. "We're not trying to alarm people, but we need to know it is there and what could happen when it falls," he added.