Simulation Of Tsunami Propagation Research Articles

Global tsunami modelling on a spherical multiple-cell grid

A model of shallow water equations (SWEs) on a spherical multiple-cell (SMC) grid of 4-level (2.5-5-10-20 km) spatial resolutions is used to simulate tsunami propagation on global ocean surfaces. The unstructured SMC grid retains rectangular cells of the longitude-latitude grid so that efficient finite-difference schemes could be used. It also supports multi-resolutions like mesh refinement to resolve small islands and coastline details while keeping models compact enough to fit into available computers. Two earthquake-induced tsunami cases are simulated and compared with available observations. Results indicate that the modelled tsunami arrival times agree well with observations while tsunami wave heights are underestimated, particularly the observed runups on remote coastal lands. Possible reasons for this underestimation include the smoothing scheme used to suppress numerical oscillations and the missing of initial kinetic energy input from the earthquakes. Another reason is the limitation of the SWEs to describe coastal bores and breaking waves in coastal waters. A possible tsunami scenario induced by a landslide in the Canary Islands is also simulated to assess its potential impact on Atlantic coastal regions. Model results indicate that this kind of tsunami may cause severe damage to local areas but its effects on far fields, like the UK and American coastal regions are small. As the initial landslide disturbance is overly simplified, this study does not give a true representation of a real landslide tsunami but rather a qualitative assessment of its impact on the Atlantic Ocean. More realistic initial condition and improved model representation of coastal processes are needed for further studies of this possible landslide hazard.

Adjusting Manning coefficients to simulate tsunami propagation over porous coral reef

This study investigates the effect of porous coral reef on the tsunami propagation in terms of experimental and numerical modelling. It aims at quantifying the influence of several input parameters on the wave attenuation and at adjusting Manning coefficients to reproduce experimental results. The density and the surface of individual reefs are fixed as well as the width and length of the coral barrier. Results show that the reef height is the most sensitive parameter. This latter affects the tsunami propagation with an attenuation of the first wave reaching 15 % compared to the case with a smooth reef. Wave breaking occurs on the reef flat for each test but, as expected, its location depends greatly on the reservoir depths difference. Numerical simulations show that the Manning coefficient must be adjusted both by considering the coral reef height and the spatial grid resolution. It varies from 0.01 (for lowest reef with highest grid resolution) to 0.058 (for higher reefs with coarsest grid resolution).

NUMERICAL MODELING OF THE 1998 PAPUA NEW GUINEA TSUNAMI USING THE COMCOT

The Papua New Guinea tsunami of 1998 is a unique phenomenon because the source of the tsunami propagation has been speculated. There was a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on July 17, 1998, at 18:49 WIT before the tsunami hit the Aitape area. However, previous studies have shown that the leading cause of the tsunami was not the earthquake but a submarine landslide. One of the steps to simulating the event is to do tsunami modeling. A tsunami propagation simulation will be conducted using Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami (COMCOT). This simulation was carried out with three scenarios to see which had the most significant effect on the tsunami event. The first scenario uses a tsunami source from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, the following scenario is carried out using avalanche parameters, and the last scenario is a scenario with a combined source of earthquake and avalanche. The results of this study indicate that underwater landslides are the source of a tsunami similar to the original event.

Numerical Simulation of Tsunami Generation and Propagation Due to Viscous Debris Flow Impact Using LS-DYNA

Numerical Simulation of Tsunami Generation and Propagation Due to Viscous Debris Flow Impact Using LS-DYNA

Improvement to stochastic tsunami hazard analysis of megathrust earthquakes for western Makran subduction zone

The Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ) is one of the world's most tsunami-prone regions. In the present study, tsunami hazards associated with potential MSZ earthquakes are evaluated using stochastic earthquake rupture modeling, which allows for the incorporation of uncertainties related to slip heterogeneity. Along the western segment of the MSZ, where tsunami hazard studies have received less attention, megathrust earthquakes with moment magnitudes of Mw 8.5, 8.7, and 8.9 are considered. The source parameters of 600 stochastic earthquake scenarios are calculated using the scaling relationships of Goda et al. (2016), which represent significant improvements over previous scaling relationships by taking into account the uncertainty of multiple source parameters and the coverage of a wide range of earthquake magnitudes. In order to simulate tsunami propagation and inundation, the nonlinear shallow water equations are used in four-level nested grid model domains .According to the calculated slip fields, the seismic source characteristics provided by stochastic source models significantly change within the earthquakes scenarios with identical magnitudes and may completely differ from the results of traditional uniform-slip source models. The results of the 600 Monte Carlo tsunami simulations demonstrate that even extremely large earthquakes in the west MSZ do not lead to significant tsunamis along the eastern coastal regions of Makran. The average maximum wave heights of 8, 10, and 17 m along the western Makran coasts, which correspond to the Mw 8.5, 8.7, and 8.9 scenarios, respectively, emphasize the severe potential threat of a possible tsunamigenic event in the west of the MSZ to the Iranian coasts. In addition, the significant difference between the maximum wave heights of the 10th and 90th percentiles for each scenario demonstrates the large variability of tsunami heights resulting from uncertainties associated with stochastic seismic source modeling. Thus, it can be concluded that the tsunami hazard parameters estimated by simple uniform-slip source models need to be revised in future tsunami risk assessment studies.

Development of early warning system for tsunamis accompanied by collapse of Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia

Present tsunami warning systems have been specialized for earthquake-generated tsunamis, but rapidly evaluating the tsunamis caused by volcanic eruptions and/or volcanic sector collapses remains a challenge. In this study, we applied a numerical model to the 2018 Anak Krakatau tsunami event, which was generated by the sector collapse, investigated a tsunami prediction skill by the model, and developed a real-time forecasting method based on a pre-computed database for future tsunamis accompanied by such eruption of Anak Krakatau. The database stores spatiotemporal changes in water surface level and flux, which are simulated under various collapse scenarios, for confined areas in the vicinity of potential source. The areas also cover the locations of observation stations that are virtually placed on uninhabited island surrounding the source area. During an actual volcanic tsunami event, a tsunami is expected to be observed at the observation stations. For real-time tsunami forecasting, the most suitable scenarios to reproduce the observed waveforms are searched quickly in the database. The precomputed results under the identified scenarios are further provided as input for rapid tsunami propagation simulation. Therefore, an effective real-time forecasting can be conducted to densely populated coastal areas located at a considerable distance from the source, such as the coasts of Java and Sumatra. The forecasting performance was examined by applying the method for three hypothetical collapse scenarios assuming different sliding directions. We demonstrated that the tsunamis along the coasts were successfully forecasted. Moreover, we showed that the combination of a pre-computed database and the existence of observation stations near the source area was able to produce appropriate tsunami forecasting for the coastal area even in a volcanic event.

Design of Vertical Evacuation Building at Painan City Using Results From Tsunami Propagation Modeling

Fault under the Mentawai Islands has high potential to cause a large earthquake and triggering tsunami. Painan City, is located near the fault. With geographical condition on a bay surrounded by hills in the upstream area, a tsunami may cause a flow channeling effect and increase the inundation distance. An alternative of mitigation effort is to build a Vertical Evacuation Building (VEB) to help the community to reach a safe elevation within the evacuation time. Therefore, VEB should be designed to withstand tsunami impacts and to resist large earthquakes. This study conducts the design and analysis of the performance of multi-functional VEB structures at Painan City. The tsunami propagation simulation was carried out, and parameters obtained were used for structural design. Three VEB models were developed, i.e., (i) model with walls under tsunami and earthquake loads, (ii) model without walls under tsunami and earthquake loads, and (iii) model without walls under earthquake load only as the lateral load. Non-linear static pushover analyses were later conducted to evaluate the structural performances. The study revealed that debris force affects the most compared to other tsunami force components. Structural openings also affect the tsunami load received by the structure. Column moment force for models designed with tsunami load is greater than that of earthquake, while the difference is less significant for beam. The internal force differences occur along the tsunami inundated depth, thus influence the component design. From the pushover analysis, all models were found to meet the performance targets for earthquake.

LANDSLIDE TSUNAMI HAZARD ASSESSMENT: A NUMERICAL MODEL FOR THE SIMULATION OF MULTIPLE LANDSLIDE-INDUCED TSUNAMIS SCENARIOS IN A MONTE CARLO FRAMEWORK

Submarine landslides can pose serious tsunami hazard to coastal communities. However, performing a comprehensive landslide tsunami hazard assessment for a given area is in general difficult in view of the large uncertainties associated with tsunamigenic source parameters. These are often known only approximately, on the basis of estimates of the landslide geometry, slide material properties, and kinematics. Here, we present an efficient model to perform such hazard analyses, based on solving the linear mildslope equation with a time-dependent source term representing the seafloor motion as detailed in Iorio et al. (2021). This approach allows carrying out many computations, for a large number of landslide scenarios, in a Monte Carlo (MC) approach framework, at a reduced computational cost compared to other available methods, while still providing physically accurate simulations of most landslide tsunami generation and propagation.

Sensitivity of slip distribution on tsunami trace heights and geological evidences: a case study of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

We examined whether it is possible to estimate the tsunami source model of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake from a comparison of numerical simulations of tsunami propagation and sediment transport, the measured trace heights, and the sediment thickness of tsunami deposits. Twelve models with different subfault numbers were prepared based on a reference model inferred from tsunami waveform inversion. The reference model with 55 subfaults considering rupture propagation and the model with instantaneous slip successfully reproduced both the tsunami trace heights and sediment thickness distribution of tsunami deposits in the Idagawa Lowland and Sendai Plain. Other models with the same moment magnitude but fewer subfaults could not reproduce the observed trace heights, and the reproducibility of sediment thickness distribution strongly depended on the slip distribution. Models with increased slip amounts and moment magnitude could reproduce the trace heights; however, the simulated sediment thickness was underestimated for the Idagawa Lowland while overestimated for the Sendai Plain. Our results indicate that the combination of trace heights, sediment thickness of tsunami deposits, and numerical simulations of tsunami propagation and sediment transport can be used to estimate historical earthquakes and tsunamis. Efforts should be made to increase the number of subfaults for the study of historical events, although the obtained solutions may not be unique because of fewer trace heights or tsunami deposit data.

Assessment of the 1693 tsunami wave generation and propagation simulation based on multiple focal mechanism scenarios for recent disaster mitigation in eastern sicily, Italy

The 1693 tsunami was the most extensive earthquake-tsunami event in Sicily, submerging Catania, Augusta, and Syracuse. However, the earthquake rupture, water level, arrival time, and furthest inundation distance of the tsunami waves are not yet known. This study aims to investigate the tsunamigenic source, run-up height, furthest inundation distance, and arrival time of the 1693 tsunami waves on the east coast of Sicily. Moreover, the assessment of tsunami-prone zones was also conducted based on worst-case earthquake-tsunami scenarios. Numerical modeling was applied by proposing six offshore focal mechanism scenarios using the shallow water equation in Delft3D and Delft Dashboard. The input parameters include length, width, strike, dip, slip, rake, and depth of the earthquake rupture. Meanwhile, the tsunami wave propagation onshore utilized XBeach and ArcGIS, considering the maximum run-up height, surface roughness analyzed from land use maps, slope, river existence, and coastline from Digital Terrain Model (DTM) identification. The results indicate that the worst possible impact of the 1693 tsunami was generated by an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 7.13. The maximum water level, furthest inundation distance, and arrival time achieved 7.7 m, 318 m, and 9 min after wave generation offshore, respectively. This simulation is consistent with the discovery of 1693 tsunami deposits at a distance of less than 400 m from the coastlines of Augusta and Syracuse, but it is above the estimated furthest inundation distance in previous studies, which only reached around 100 m–200 m from the eastern coastline of Sicily. The results of the study are reliable as they align with the 1697 historical document where seawater inundated San Filippo Square, Catania.

A heuristic features selection approach for scenario analysis in a regional seismic probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment

Seismic Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis (SPTHA) is aimed at estimating the annual rate of exceedance of an earthquake-induced tsunami wave of a certain location with reference to a predefined height threshold. The analysis relies on computationally demanding numerical simulations of seismic-induced tsunami wave generation and propagation. A large number of scenarios needs to be simulated to account for uncertainties. However, the exceedance of tsunami wave threshold height is a rare event so that most of the simulated scenarios bring little statistical contribution to the estimation of the annual rate yet increasing the computational burden. To efficiently address this issue, we propose a wrapper-based heuristic approach to select the set of most relevant features of the seismic model, for deciding a priori the seismic scenarios to be simulated. The proposed approach is based on a Multi-Objective Differential Evolution Algorithm (MODEA) and is developed with reference to a case study whose objective is calculating the annual rate of threshold exceedance of the height of tsunami waves caused by subduction earthquakes that might be generated on a section of the Hellenic Arc, and propagated to a set of target sites: Siracusa, on the eastern coast of Sicily, Crotone, on the southern coast of Calabria, and Santa Maria di Leuca, on the southern coast of Puglia. The results show that, in all cases, the proposed approach allows a reduction of 95% of the number of scenarios with half of the features to be considered, and with no appreciable loss of accuracy.

Simulated effectiveness of coastal forests on reduction in loss of lives from a tsunami

Although a substantial body of research has investigated the impacts of coastal vegetation on tsunami propagation over land, the effectiveness of coastal forests in reducing the number of expected casualties behind them has rarely been evaluated. Thus, this study investigates the effectiveness of coastal forests in reducing tsunami-related casualties using an agent-based evacuation simulation model. A tsunami propagation and inundation simulation model that considers vegetation-induced resistance to the flow was first developed and used to simulate the inundation observed at Shobutahama Beach in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, during the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami. The results confirmed that the model is able to simulate the effects of coastal forests with relatively good accuracy. Then, this agent-based tsunami evacuation model was used to simulate evacuation that considers the implementation of coastal forests and other countermeasures (e.g., coastal dykes and evacuation signs) to reduce casualty rates. When coastal forests alone were considered the simulated casualty rates were reduced by a maximum of around 54% (compared with the case when no countermeasures were contemplated). However, a more significant reduction in casualty rates (a maximum of around 97%) was achieved when a coastal dyke capable of withstanding tsunami overflow was constructed. Furthermore, considering a combination of coastal forests and the construction of a dyke was shown to be more effective than either countermeasure alone, indicating the importance of implementing combined strategies to minimize the number of casualties due to a major tsunami event.

Framework for probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment considering the effects of sea-level rise due to climate change

Sea-level rise due to climate change could significantly exacerbate tsunami disasters since the sea level is a critical parameter affecting the intensity of tsunamis. Considering the impacts of future climate change on the ocean, a method to consider the effects of sea-level rise on the tsunami hazard intensity is needed to precisely predict future tsunami disasters. This paper presents a novel framework for probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment, considering the sea-level rise and associated uncertainties. A probabilistic assessment of the sea-level rise hazard is performed using the available data and climate models considering several climate change emission scenarios. Conditional tsunami hazard curves are estimated by conducting tsunami propagation simulations given a sea-level rise while considering the uncertainties associated with fault movement (i.e., rake angles and average stress drops). Radial-basis-function-based surrogate models and quasi-Monte-Carlo simulations are employed to obtain tsunami hazard curves. Finally, the tsunami hazard curves considering the effects of sea-level rise are estimated by convolving the corresponding regional sea-level rise hazard with the conditional tsunami hazard curves based on the total probability theorem. An illustrative example is provided, in which the proposed framework is applied to several municipalities in the Mie Prefecture of Japan that would be affected by tsunamis during the anticipated Nankai-Tonankai earthquake. The effects of sea-level rise on the tsunami hazard intensities associated with the municipalities are discussed.

Time‐Dependent Probabilistic Tsunami Inundation Assessment Using Mode Decomposition to Assess Uncertainty for an Earthquake Scenario

AbstractThis study presents an innovative probabilistic tsunami inundation assessment for an earthquake scenario to randomly generate tsunami inundation depth distributions by quantitatively evaluating the spatial correlation of tsunami inundation depths using singular value decomposition (SVD) derived from proper orthogonal decomposition and to evaluate the tsunami inundation depths considering the imminent occurrence of an earthquake. We found a good agreement between the evaluation results of the proposed surrogate model and the numerical results of the nonlinear long wave equations for the tsunami inundation depth distribution in Kamakura city, Japan, due to the Sagami Trough megathrust earthquake. Evaluating the spatial correlation using SVD has the advantage that the covariance matrix does not need to be defined in advance but can be defined from the data itself. We also achieved a significant reduction in the number of required tsunami propagation simulations for the probabilistic assessment and attained higher computational efficiency by extracting spatial correlations with SVD. Furthermore, we conducted a probabilistic tsunami inundation assessment focusing on a relatively short period (i.e., 50 years) considering the time‐dependent occurrence probability of the target earthquake. The proposed probabilistic assessment method with mode decomposition is applicable to the general probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment by integrating it with physical stochastic slip models.

A numerical study of single N-type tsunami drawdown processes at a geophysical scale

Inundations by tsunamis have caused tremendous disasters on coasts all over the world. Consequently, the characteristics of tsunami runup have attracted public and scientific curiosity, which have led to a better understanding of the characteristics of tsunami evolution and runup. On the other hand, the drawdown of tsunamis has less attracted public and scientific interest. Thus, in this study, we investigate the drawdown processes of tsunamis at a geophysical scale. We simulate tsunami propagation and drawdown using a numerical model for fully nonlinear, weakly dispersive, rotational, and turbulent flow. Considering typical geophysical scales, we examine the effects of the amplitude, period, and shape of the incident wave, and bathymetric slope. The simulations show that the maximum drawdown of single leading-elevation N-wave (LEN) occurs prior to runup phase, whereas the maximum drawdown of single leading-depression N-wave (LDN) occurs after the runup phase. In addition, it is observed that the physical processes to induce drawdown of LDN- and LEN-type tsunamis are different from each other. Counterintuitively, the maximum drawdown depth of LEN can be greater than LDN tsunamis. Although the physical procedures are different, the maximum drawdown depths of both N-type tsunamis follow power functional relationships with the surf-similarity parameter ξ (Battjes, 1974). A noteworthy point is their power-law exponent o fξ: The numerical simulations under the geophysical scales result in that the ratio of maximum drawdown depth to incident tsunami wave amplitude is proportional to −ξ0.7 and −ξ−0.4 for which ξ<∼10 and 10<∼ξ<∼100, respectively, regardless of LDN or LEN. Based on this consistency, we propose empirical formulae to predict the maximum drawdown depth of single N-type tsunamis.

New High-Resolution Modeling of the 2018 Palu Tsunami, Based on Supershear Earthquake Mechanisms and Mapped Coastal Landslides, Supports a Dual Source

The Mw 7.5 earthquake that struck Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on September 28, 2018, was rapidly followed by coastal landslides and destructive tsunami waves within Palu Bay. Here, we present new tsunami modeling that supports a dual source mechanism from the supershear strike-slip earthquake and coastal landslides. Up until now the tsunami mechanism: earthquake, coastal landslides, or a combination of both, has remained controversial, because published research has been inconclusive; with some studies explaining most observations from the earthquake and others the landslides. Major challenges are the numerous different earthquake source models used in tsunami modeling, and that landslide mechanisms have been hypothetical. Here, we simulate tsunami generation using three published earthquake models, alone and in combination with seven coastal landslides identified in earlier work and confirmed by field and bathymetric evidence which, from video evidence, produced significant waves. To generate and propagate the tsunamis, we use a combination of two wave models, the 3D non-hydrostatic model NHWAVE and the 2D Boussinesq model FUNWAVE-TVD. Both models are nonlinear and address the physics of wave frequency dispersion critical in modeling tsunamis from landslides, which here, in NHWAVE are modeled as granular material. Our combined, earthquake and coastal landslide, simulations recreate all observed tsunami runups, except those in the southeast of Palu Bay where they were most elevated (10.5 m), as well as observations made in video recordings and at the Pantoloan Port tide gauge located within Palu Bay. With regard to the timing of tsunami impact on the coast, results from the dual landslide/earthquake sources, particularly those using the supershear earthquake models are in good agreement with reconstructed time series at most locations. Our new work shows that an additional tsunami mechanism is also necessary to explain the elevated tsunami observations in the southeast of Palu Bay. Using partial information from bathymetric surveys in this area we show that an additional, submarine landslide here, when simulated with the other coastal slides, and the supershear earthquake mechanism better explains the observations. This supports the need for future marine geology work in this area.

A NUMERICAL MODEL FOR THE EFFICIENT SIMULATION OF MULTIPLE LANDSLIDE-TSUNAMI SCENARIOS

Submarine landslides can pose serious tsunami hazard to coastal communities, occurring frequently near the coast itself. The properties of the tsunami and the consequent inundation depend on many factors, such as the geometry, the rheology and the kinematic of the landslide and the local bathymetry. However, when evaluating the risk related to landslide tsunamis, it is very difficult to accurately predict all of the above mentioned parameters. It is therefore useful to carry out many simulations of tsunami generation and propagation, with reference to different landslide scenarios, in order to deal with such uncertainties (see for example the probabilistic approach by Grilli et al. 2009). Accurate computations of landslide tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation, however, is computationally expensive, thus limiting the possible maximum number of scenarios. To partially overcome this difficulty, in the present research, a numerical model is proposed that can efficiently compute a large number of tsunami simulations triggered by different landslides. The main goal is to provide a numerical tool that can be used in a Monte Carlo approach framework. Following the study by Ward (2001), we propose a methodology taking advantage of the linear superposition of elementary tsunami solutions.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/uYOvdsutmBw

21 May 2003 Boumerdès Earthquake: Numerical Investigations of the Rupture Mechanism Effects on the Induced Tsunami and Its Impact in Harbors

In order to obtain a fair and reliable description of the wave amplitude and currents in harbors due to the tsunami generated by the 21 May 2003 Boumerdès earthquake (Algeria), a numerical investigation has been performed with a standard hydraulic numerical model combined with various source fault models. Seven different rupture models proposed in literature to represent high frequency seismic effects have been used to simulate tsunami generation. The tsunami wave propagation across the Western Mediterranean Sea and in bays and harbors of the Balearic Islands is simulated, and results are checked against sea level measurements. All of them resulted in a significant underestimation of the tsunami impact on the Balearic coasts. In the paper the best fitting source model is identified, justifying the energy intensification of the event to account for low frequency character of tsunami waves. A fair correspondence is pointed out between damages to boats and harbor infrastructures, reported in newspapers, and wave intensity, characterized by level extremes and current intensity. Current speed and amplitude thresholds for possible damage in harbors suggested respectively by Lynett et al., doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058680, and Muhari et al., doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1772-0, are confirmed by the present analysis.

3D numerical simulation of tsunami generation and propagation, case study: Makran tsunami generation and penetrating in Chabahar Bay

The Makran subduction located at the northwest of the Indian ocean, at the Oman Sea mouth has been and is the source of massive tsunamis that threatens the coasts of Iran, Pakistan, India and Oman. The initial tsunami wave produced by the magnitude and focal depth of Makran submarine earthquake in 1945 is determined based on the Okada algorithm. 3D propagation of the generated mega wave in the Indian Ocean and Oman Sea is simulated by adopting OpenFOAM open source CFD software, in its global sense and verified vs. the available data. The wave characteristics are extracted from the global model at the mouth of Chabahar Bay are inserted as the input in a regional model which consist of precise geometry and bathymetry of the bay and finer mesh size. The wave run-up is predicted at the main ports at the Indian Ocean and Oman Sea coastline. The obtained results are implemented to assess the tsunami risk zone of Teess beach town, at Chabahar Bay coastline. The advanced procedure applied in this research consists of the accurate production of the original tsunami and three stages of global and regional 3D and local 2D propagation simulation, that provides reliable results in more accurate estimation of wave run up height and tsunami risk zone, for practical engineering applications.

Robust and efficient 3-D numerical model for the hydrodynamic simulation of tsunami wave on land

This study presents the development, refinement, and application of a 3-D multiphase flow model for the simulation of tsunami propagation on land and its hydrodynamic force on a coastal building. The model is based on the Volume/Surface Integrated Average-based Multi-Moment Method (VSIAM3) with improved accuracy by adopting the temporary moment (TM) method to update the non-normal flow variables. A third-order gradient approximation is chosen for the reconstruction of an interpolation profile in the CIP-CLS3 advection solver to further reduce numerical diffusion and suppress numerical oscillation. The moving interface between air–water is captured by using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The Tangent of Hyperbola for Interface Capturing (THINC) scheme is used to reproduce a sharp and smear-less air–water interface. The model performance improved by as much as 16% in the estimation of impact force on the downstream wall in the dam-break flow benchmarking problem by refining the original VSIAM3 model. The robustness of the model is further demonstrated by the accurate reproduction of tsunami wave propagation speed and its hydrodynamic pressures on a single box-shaped obstacle. The wave-induced pressures on the front face of the obstacle are accurately reproduced, with a maximum of 10% difference compared with the hydraulic experimental results. Thus, the study shows that the overall robustness and hydrodynamic performance of the model can be improved by refining the original model.