Proposal for a new meteotsunami intensity index.

Abstract

Atmospherically generated coastal waves labelled as meteotsunami are known to cause destruction, injury and fatality due to their rapid onset and unexpected nature. These progressive shallow water waves with a period of 2 to 120 minutes tend to be initiated by sudden pressure changes (±1 mb over a few tens of minutes) and wind stress from moving atmospheric systems out on the open water. As these waves arrive at the shoreline they are amplified by localised resonances. Unlike other related coastal hazards such as tsunami, there exists no standardised means of quantifying this phenomenon which is crucial for understanding its impacts and to establish a shared language and framework for meteotsunami analysis and comparison. In this study, we present a new 5-level Lewis Meteotsunami Intensity Index (LMTI) primarily trialled in the United Kingdom (UK) but designed for global applicability. A comprehensive dataset of meteotsunami events recorded in the UK were verified and applied to the index which yielded results that identified a predominant occurrence of Level 2 or moderate intensity meteotsunamis (69%), with distinct hotspots identified in Southwest England and Scotland. Further trial implementation and calibration of the LMTI in a global capacity revealed its adaptability to other meteotsunami prone regions facilitating the potential for further research into preparedness and hazard mitigation strategies.