Abstract
Boulders made of coral limestone transported shoreward have been observed many times in the tropics and subtropical coastal zones, and are called storm boulders or tsunami boulders. They can become lasting evidence of historical mega-tsunami or super typhoon occurrence during the past hundreds to thousands of years, even if no literature record remains. In recent years, a large number of surveys have been conducted worldwide, and the existence of large boulders has been found in several areas such as the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and other regions. Since there is limited observational record of their detailed motion, movement limit, and spatial distribution of transport by gigantic tsunami or storm waves, detailed movement mechanisms are still poorly known. This increases the difficulty of developing a model of boulder transport, and interpreting field observations. These hydrodynamic conditions are also directly related to structural loads of interest to engineers and planners. This study aims to measure transport characteristics of coastal boulders through a series of experiments in a tsunami-wave laboratory flume.
Highlights
Boulders made of coral limestone transported shoreward have been observed many times in the tropics and subtropical coastal zones, and are called storm boulders or tsunami boulders
Largest transport distances are found for still water levels just below a flat shelf, and one long tsunami waves will transport boulders for much greater distances than many irregular storm waves
Transport distance is strongly affected by wave breaking point of solitary wave
Summary
Boulders made of coral limestone transported shoreward have been observed many times in the tropics and subtropical coastal zones, and are called storm boulders or tsunami boulders. They can become lasting evidence of historical mega-tsunami or super typhoon occurrence during the past hundreds to thousands of years, even if no literature record remains. Since there is limited observational record of their detailed motion, movement limit, and spatial distribution of transport by gigantic tsunami or storm waves, detailed movement mechanisms are still poorly known. This increases the difficulty of developing a model of boulder transport, and interpreting field observations. This study aims to measure transport characteristics of coastal boulders through a series of experiments in a tsunami-wave laboratory flume
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