Transoceanic Tsunamis Research Articles

Local and Trans-oceanic Tsunamis in the Bering and Chukchi Seas Based on Numerical Modeling

Local and Trans-oceanic Tsunamis in the Bering and Chukchi Seas Based on Numerical Modeling

Block-structured, equal-workload, multi-grid-nesting interface for the Boussinesq wave model FUNWAVE-TVD (Total Variation Diminishing)

Abstract. We describe the development of a block-structured, equal-CPU-load (central processing unit), multi-grid-nesting interface for the Boussinesq wave model FUNWAVE-TVD (Fully Nonlinear Boussinesq Wave Model with Total Variation Diminishing Solver). The new model framework does not interfere with the core solver, and thus the core program, FUNWAVE-TVD, is still a standalone model used for a single grid. The nesting interface manages the time sequencing and two-way nesting processes between the parent grid and child grid with grid refinement in a hierarchical manner. Workload balance in the MPI-based (message passing interface) parallelization is handled by an equal-load scheme. A strategy of shared array allocation is applied for data management that allows for a large number of nested grids without creating additional memory allocations. Four model tests are conducted to verify the nesting algorithm with assessments of model accuracy and the robustness in the application in modeling transoceanic tsunamis and coastal effects.

Global Tonga tsunami explained by a fast-moving atmospheric source

Volcanoes can produce tsunamis by means of earthquakes, caldera and flank collapses, pyroclastic flows or underwater explosions1–4. These mechanisms rarely displace enough water to trigger transoceanic tsunamis. Violent volcanic explosions, however, can cause global tsunamis1,5 by triggering acoustic-gravity waves6–8 that excite the atmosphere–ocean interface. The colossal eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano and ensuing tsunami is the first global volcano-triggered tsunami recorded by modern, worldwide dense instrumentation, thus providing a unique opportunity to investigate the role of air–water-coupling processes in tsunami generation and propagation. Here we use sea-level, atmospheric and satellite data from across the globe, along with numerical and analytical models, to demonstrate that this tsunami was driven by a constantly moving source in which the acoustic-gravity waves radiating from the eruption excite the ocean and transfer energy into it by means of resonance. A direct correlation between the tsunami and the acoustic-gravity waves’ arrival times confirms that these phenomena are closely linked. Our models also show that the unusually fast travel times and long duration of the tsunami, as well as its global reach, are consistent with an air–water-coupled source. This coupling mechanism has clear hazard implications, as it leads to higher waves along land masses that rise abruptly from long stretches of deep ocean waters.

An efficient method to improve travel time delays of transoceanic tsunamis based on depth-correction scheme

An efficient method to improve travel time delays of transoceanic tsunamis based on depth-correction scheme

An extended, 2.4-ka long record of western Pacific tsunamis and pumice rafts in northern Taiwan: Tsunami recurrence, pumice sources, and drifting routes

Encircled by arcs and trenches, the western Pacific region of the Philippine Sea is exposed to trans-oceanic tsunamis and pumice rafts. However, shortage of extended archive has limited our knowledge of tsunami recurrence, pumice sources, and drifting routes. This study identifies a backshore colluvium with three new pumice gravel layers in northern Taiwan, stratigraphically below four previously reported pumice-bearing paleotsunami deposits from the last millennium. The new layers are attributed to tsunamis, based on foreshore-derived sediments, facies characteristics reflecting suspension-rich turbulent flow process, supratidal locations exceeding typhoon surge heights, and mismatched super typhoon occurrences. The tsunami record therefore extends in duration from 1.0 to 2.4 ka with an increase in event number from four to seven, which unfolds new time intervals, stretches the recurrence from 100–400 to 100–800 years, and indicates complicated tsunami occurrences and sources in this region. Simultaneously, a stranded pumice archive is established by six of the seven paleotsunami deposits with abundant pumices rounded by grain-to-grain abrasion during drifting. The pumices consist of black, shoshonitic trachyte–trachyandesite grains and white, low-K dacite–rhyolite grains, indicating diverse sources and drifting routes. The unique alkali and adjoining subalkaline volcano provinces of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc might have successively generated pumice rafts since 2.4 ka that embarked the Kuroshio counter and branch currents for northern Taiwan in a ∼2000-km-long course across the Philippine Sea. White rhyolite pumice domination is also present and comparable in composition to the southern Ryukyu pumice, indicating a ∼200 km-long northwest-bound route.

A Conservative Fully Discrete Numerical Method for the Regularized Shallow Water Wave Equations

The paper proposes a new, conservative fully-discrete scheme for the numerical solution of the regularised shallow water Boussinesq system of equations in the cases of periodic and reflective boundary conditions. The particular system is one of a class of equations derived recently and can be used in practical simulations to describe the propagation of weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive long water waves, such as tsunamis. Studies of small-amplitude long waves usually require long-time simulations in order to investigate scenarios such as the overtaking collision of two solitary waves or the propagation of transoceanic tsunamis. For long-time simulations of non-dissipative waves such as solitary waves, the preservation of the total energy by the numerical method can be crucial in the quality of the approximation. The new conservative fully-discrete method consists of a Galerkin finite element method for spatial semidiscretisation and an explicit relaxation Runge--Kutta scheme for integration in time. The Galerkin method is expressed and implemented in the framework of mixed finite element methods. The paper provides an extended experimental study of the accuracy and convergence properties of the new numerical method. The experiments reveal a new convergence pattern compared to standard Galerkin methods.

Improved Phase Corrections for Transoceanic Tsunami Data in Spatial and Temporal Source Estimation: Application to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

AbstractSystemic travel time delays of up to 15 min relative to the linear long waves for transoceanic tsunamis have been reported. A phase correction method, which converts the linear long waves into dispersive waves, was previously proposed to consider seawater compressibility, the elasticity of the Earth, and gravitational potential change associated with tsunami motion. In the present study, we improved this method by incorporating the effects of ocean density stratification, actual tsunami raypath, and actual bathymetry. The previously considered effects amounted to approximately 74% for correction of the travel time delay, while the ocean density stratification, actual raypath, and actual bathymetry, contributed to approximately 13%, 4%, and 9% on average, respectively. The improved phase correction method accounted for almost all the travel time delay at far‐field stations. We performed single and multiple time window inversions for the 2011 Tohoku tsunami using the far‐field data (>3 h travel time) to investigate the initial sea surface displacement. The inversion result from only far‐field data was similar to but smoother than that from near‐field data and all stations, including a large sea surface rise increasing toward the trench followed by a migration northward along the trench. For the forward simulation, our results showed good agreement between the observed and computed waveforms at both near‐field and far‐field tsunami gauges, as well as with satellite altimeter data. The present study demonstrates that the improved method provides a more accurate estimate for the waveform inversion and forward prediction of far‐field data.

Historical tsunami records and potential tsunami scenarios near Haikou coastal region

Historical tsunami records in the South China Sea are collected and analyzed in this paper. There have been about 54 tsunamis in the South China Sea since 1076. The impacts of the transoceanic tsunamis on the southeast coast of China are weak. However, the regional tsunamis in the South China Sea bring varying degrees of influence to the south coast of China, which occurred about 18 times. By the analysis of the potential tsunami sources in the South China Sea, numerical simulations of tsunami induced in the Manila Trench are carried out. It is found that the tsunami wave height is small near Haikou if the general earthquake tsunami occurred. But the tsunami wave height is large when a giant earthquake of M9.3 occurred. If this extreme situation arises, the impacts to the coast of Haikou will be serious.

A Comparative Analysis of Coastal and Open-Ocean Records of the Great Chilean Tsunamis of 2010, 2014 and 2015 off the Coast of Mexico

The three great earthquakes off the coast of Chile on 27 February 2010 (Maule, Mw 8.8), 1 April 2014 (Iquique, Mw 8.2) and 16 September 2015 (Illapel, Mw 8.3) generated major transoceanic tsunamis that spread throughout the Pacific Ocean and were measured by numerous coastal tide gauges and open-ocean DART stations. Statistical and spectral analyses of the tsunami waves from the events recorded on the Pacific coast of Mexico enabled us to estimate parameters of the waves along the coast and to compare statistical features of the events. We also identified three coastal “hot spots” (sites having maximum tsunami risk): Puerto Angel, Puerto Madero and Manzanillo. Based on the joint spectral analyses of the tsunamis and background noise, we have developed a method for using coastal observations to determine the underlying spectrum of tsunami waves in the deep ocean. The “reconstructed” open-ocean tsunami spectra are in close agreement with the actual tsunami spectra evaluated from direct analysis of the DART records offshore of Mexico. We have further used the spectral estimates to parameterize the energy of the three Chilean tsunamis based on the total open-ocean tsunami energy and frequency content of the individual events.

Tsunami currents in ports.

Tsunami-induced currents present an obvious hazard to maritime activities and ports in particular. The historical record is replete with accounts from ship captains and harbour masters describing their fateful encounters with currents and surges caused by these destructive waves. Despite the well-known hazard, only since the trans-oceanic tsunamis of the early twenty-first century (2004, 2010 and 2011) have coastal and port engineering practitioners begun to develop port-specific warning and response products that accurately assess the effects of tsunami-induced currents in addition to overland flooding and inundation. The hazard from strong currents induced by far-field tsunami remains an underappreciated risk in the port and maritime community. In this paper, we will discuss the history of tsunami current observations in ports, look into the current state of the art in port tsunami hazard assessment and discuss future research trends.

Stratigraphic evidence for earthquakes and tsunamis on the west coast of South Andaman Island, India during the past 1000 years

Stratigraphic records from west coast of South Andaman Island revealed evidence of three historical earthquakes and associated transoceanic tsunamis during past 1000yrs, in addition to the Mw 9.3 tsunamigenic earthquake of 26 December, 2004. Our finding suggests that along with Sumatran arc segment the Andaman–Arakan segment is also capable of generating mega-subduction zone earthquakes and transoceanic tsunamis. To study the near sub-surface stratigraphic succession we excavated shallow trenches and obtained geoslices from two sites around Collinpur (sites 1 and 2). The exposed succession comprised 11 lithounits (Unit a — youngest and k — oldest) of alternating sequence of coarser units overlain by peaty soils and some of these are indicative of deposition during paleo-tsunami events.Event I that predated AD 800, and is marked by a 35–40cm thick deposit of fine gravel to coarse sands along with broken shell fragments (Unit k). Event II dated around AD 660–800, is represented by 20–25cm thick coarse sand and broken shell fragments (Unit i). Based on stratigraphic evidences of land-level changes, this event is attributed to a near source rupture along Andaman–Arakan segment, accompanied by a transoceanic tsunami. Event III, occurred around AD 1120–1300, is marked by a 50cm thick sand deposit (Unit g). The 2004 tsunami resulted in deposition of 15cm thick medium to coarse sand at the same location. We infer that the 2004 tsunami and Event III resulted in different styles of sedimentation at the same site.Four events at Collinpur along with the record of a subsidence event of AD 1679 from the east coast of Andaman, close-to, Port Blair (Malik et al., 2011), suggest that mega-subduction zone earthquakes and associated tsunamis recur at an interval of 300–500 years at variable locations along the Sumatra–Andaman subduction zone.

Strongest tsunamis in the World Ocean and the problem of marine coastal security

We consider the problems of assessing tsunami danger for sea coasts taking into account the risk of the strongest tsunamis of seismic origin. We identify a class of particularly dangerous transoceanic events characterized by extremely high runups (up to 40–50 m) at extended coastal areas (up to 500–1000 km). In most cases these transoceanic tsunamis are caused by underwater mega-earthquakes with a magnitude of 9.0 or more occurring with a period between 200–300 and 1000–1200 years in some areas of subduction zones. The possibility of these earthquakes in subduction zones directly threatening a given coast should be taken into account in creating maps of tsunami zoning of any scale.

Impact of a tsunami generated at the Lesser Antilles subduction zone on the Northern Atlantic Ocean coastlines

Abstract. On 11 March 2011, a Mw ~ 9.0 megathrust earthquake occurred off the coast of Tohoku, triggering a catastrophic tsunami reaching heights of 10 m and more in some places and resulting in lots of casualties and destructions. It is one of a handful of catastrophic tsunamis having occurred during the last decade, following the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, and leading to the preparation of tsunami warning systems and evacuation plans all around the world. In the Atlantic Ocean, which has been struck by two certified transoceanic tsunamis over the past centuries (the 1755 "Lisbon" and 1929 Grand Banks events), a warning system is also under discussion, especially for what concerns potential tsunamigenic sources off Iberian Peninsula. In addition, the Lesser Antilles subduction zone is also potentially able to generate powerful megathrust ruptures as the 8 February 1843 Mw ~ 8.0/8.5 earthquake, that could trigger devastating tsunamis propagating across the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The question is in which conditions these tsunamis could be able to reach the Oceanic Islands as well as the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and what could be the estimated times to react and wave heights to expect? This paper attempts to answer those questions through the use of numerical modelings and recent research results about the Lesser Antilles ability to produce megathrust earthquakes.

The 2011 Tohoku tsunami generated major environmental changes in a distal Canadian fjord

[1] Tsunamis triggered by powerful earthquakes cause extensive damage and loss of life within many regions of the World Ocean. Although coastal inundation from major tsunamis is becoming increasingly well understood, we know little about the broader aspects of such events on distal marine systems. Here we use time series from moored oceanic sensors to show that the Tohoku tsunami generated by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake off eastern Japan in March 2011 caused days of surge-like currents and turbulent mixing in the inner basin of an anoxic Canadian fjord located over 7000 km from the seafloor rupture zone. Mixing, combined with the inflow of more oxygen-rich water from the adjoining outer basin, led to abrupt changes in the hydrodynamics, bottom sedimentation, and zooplankton behavior in the basin. These findings help define mechanisms by which major transoceanic tsunamis can significantly alter coastal marine environments located far from the source area.

Tsunami speed variations in density‐stratified compressible global oceans

Tsunami speed variations in the deep ocean caused by seawater density stratification is investigated using a newly developed propagator matrix method that is applicable to seawater with depth‐variable sound speeds and density gradients. For a 4 km deep ocean, the total tsunami speed reduction is 0.44% compared with incompressible homogeneous seawater; two thirds of the reduction is due to elastic energy stored in the water and one third is due to water density stratification mainly by hydrostatic compression. Tsunami speeds are computed for global ocean density and sound speed profiles, and characteristic structures are discussed. Tsunami speed reductions are proportional to ocean depth with small variations, except in warm Mediterranean seas. The impacts of seawater compressibility and the elasticity effect of the solid earth on tsunami traveltime should be included for precise modeling of transoceanic tsunamis.

Ages and relative sizes of pre‐2004 tsunamis in the Bay of Bengal inferred from geologic evidence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

AbstractGeologic evidence along the northern part of the 2004 Aceh‐Andaman rupture suggests that this region generated as many as five tsunamis in the prior 2000 years. We identify this evidence by drawing analogy with geologic records of land‐level change and the tsunami in 2004 from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N). These analogs include subsided mangrove swamps, uplifted coral terraces, liquefaction, and organic soils coated by sand and coral rubble. The pre‐2004 evidence varies in potency, and materials dated provide limiting ages on inferred tsunamis. The earliest tsunamis occurred between the second and sixth centuries A.D., evidenced by coral debris of the southern Car Nicobar Island. A subsequent tsunami, probably in the range A.D. 770–1040, is inferred from deposits both in A&N and on the Indian subcontinent. It is the strongest candidate for a 2004‐caliber earthquake in the past 2000 years. A&N also contain tsunami deposits from A.D. 1250 to 1450 that probably match those previously reported from Sumatra and Thailand, and which likely date to the 1390s or 1450s if correlated with well‐dated coral uplift offshore Sumatra. Thus, age data from A&N suggest that within the uncertainties in estimating relative sizes of paleo‐earthquakes and tsunamis, the 1000 year interval can be divided in half by the earthquake or earthquakes of A.D. 1250–1450 of magnitude >8.0 and consequent tsunamis. Unlike the transoceanic tsunamis generated by full or partial rupture of the subduction interface, the A&N geology further provides evidence for the smaller‐sized historical tsunamis of 1762 and 1881, which may have been damaging locally.

Recurrence intervals of major paleotsunamis as calibrated by historic tsunami deposits in three localities: Port Alberni, Cannon Beach, and Crescent City, along the Cascadia margin, Canada and USA

We review geologic records of both historic and prehistoric tsunami inundations at three widely separated localities that experienced significant damage from the 1964 Alaskan tsunami along the Cascadia margin. The three localities are Port Alberni, Cannon Beach, and Crescent City, representing, respectively, the north, central, and south portions of the study area (1,000 km in length). The geologic records include anomalous sand sheets from marine surges that are hosted in supratidal peaty mud deposits. Paleotsunami sand sheets that exceed the thickness, continuity and/or extent of the 1964 historic tsunami are counted as major paleotsunami inundations. Major paleotsunamis (6–7 in number) at each locality during the last 3,000 years demonstrate mean recurrence intervals of 450–540 years, and within-cluster intervals (three events each) of 270–460 years. It has been 313 years since the last major paleotsunami from a great Cascadia earthquake in AD 1700. We compare the dated sequences of major paleotsunami inundations to the nearest regional records of coastal coseismic subsidence in Willapa Bay in the central margin, Waatch/Neah Bay in the northern margin, and Coquille in the southern margin. Similar numbers of events from both types of records suggest that the major paleotsunamis are locally derived (near-field) from ruptures of the Cascadia margin megathrust fault zone, rather than from transoceanic tsunamis (far-field) originating at other subduction zones around the Pacific Rim. Given the catastrophic hazard of the near-field Cascadia margin tsunamis, we propose a basic rule for reminding the general public of the need for self-initiated evacuation following a great earthquake at the Cascadia margin.

Slip Distribution and Seismic Moment of the 2010 and 1960 Chilean Earthquakes Inferred from Tsunami Waveforms and Coastal Geodetic Data

The slip distribution and seismic moment of the 2010 and 1960 Chilean earthquakes were estimated from tsunami and coastal geodetic data. These two earthquakes generated transoceanic tsunamis, and the waveforms were recorded around the Pacific Ocean. In addition, coseismic coastal uplift and subsidence were measured around the source areas. For the 27 February 2010 Maule earthquake, inversion of the tsunami waveforms recorded at nearby coastal tide gauge and Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) stations combined with coastal geodetic data suggest two asperities: a northern one beneath the coast of Constitucion and a southern one around the Arauco Peninsula. The total fault length is approximately 400 km with seismic moment of 1.7 × 1022 Nm (Mw 8.8). The offshore DART tsunami waveforms require fault slips beneath the coasts, but the exact locations are better estimated by coastal geodetic data. The 22 May 1960 earthquake produced very large, ~30 m, slip off Valdivia. Joint inversion of tsunami waveforms, at tide gauge stations in South America, with coastal geodetic and leveling data shows total fault length of ~800 km and seismic moment of 7.2 × 1022 Nm (Mw 9.2). The seismic moment estimated from tsunami or joint inversion is similar to previous estimates from geodetic data, but much smaller than the results from seismic data analysis.

Subducting plate geology in three great earthquake ruptures of the western Alaska margin, Kodiak to Unimak

Three destructive earthquakes along the Alaska subduction zone sourced transoceanic tsunamis during the past 70 years. Since it is reasoned that past rupture areas might again source tsunamis in the future, we studied potential asperities and barriers in the subduction zone by examining Quaternary Gulf of Alaska plate history, geophysical data, and morphology. We relate the aftershock areas to subducting lower plate relief and dissimilar materials in the seismogenic zone in the 1964 Kodiak and adjacent 1938 Semidi Islands earthquake segments. In the 1946 Unimak earthquake segment, the exposed lower plate seafloor lacks major relief that might organize great earthquake rupture. However, the upper plate contains a deep transverse-trending basin and basement ridges associated with the Eocene continental Alaska convergent margin transition to the Aleutian island arc. These upper plate features are sufficiently large to have affected rupture propagation. In addition, massive slope failure in the Unimak area may explain the local 42-m-high 1946 tsunami runup. Although Quaternary geologic and tectonic processes included accretion to form a frontal prism, the study of seismic images, samples, and continental slope physiography shows a previous history of tectonic erosion. Implied asperities and barriers in the seismogenic zone could organize future great earthquake rupture.

Effects of the Rupture Velocity of Fault Motion, Ocean Current and Initial Sea Level on the Transoceanic Propagation of Tsunami

Numerical simulation of tsunami is an effective method to reproduce what has occurred in the past and to predict future events for many tsunami-related research issues including warning systems. However, some real phenomena have not been fully integrated into numerical simulations for transoceanic tsunamis such as fault dynamics of rupture velocity, ocean currents, and the initial sea level. Considering the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami event, this study evaluates the consequences of rupture velocity. Subsequently, numerical experiments were conducted to normalize the effects as represented by non-dimensional parameters. The rupture velocity, ocean current, and initial sea level were simplified to be uniform and common among simulations. Results of the experiment show that the sea depth along the propagation direction, distance from the tsunami source, rupture velocity, and initial sea level impart some considerable effects on a tsunami's arrival time and wave height. Nevertheless, ocean currents have almost no importance for the arrival time or wave height of oceanic propagation of tsunamis.