Tsunami study from underwater landslides in the Gulf of Naples - Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy: importance of the landslides directionality in 3D numerical modeling

Abstract

In this study, we propose a 3D numerical modeling of tsunami waves generated by an underwater landslide. The simulated gravity instabilities are located in the Gulf of Naples. The availability of a detailed bathymetric map both with a good knowledge of the local geology allowed us to obtain reliable simulation results. Submarine landslides in the Gulf of Naples can be considered a potential tsunami hazard for the following reason: some dated landslides in the Gulf of Naples, suggest that triggering conditions for these landslides are connected to the seismicity of the area. There are many geological evidences of tsunami events in Gulf of Naples. In fact, several papers describe the effects induced by geological events on the tsunami origin. GEOWAVE numerical model was employed to simulate tsunami generation and propagation. Model results revealed that this probable landslide tsunami is capable of generating high waves and considerable run-ups along the coasts of countries near the landslide zone. A further important role in this study is determined by the directionality of the landslide which strongly influences the tsunami energy.