Analysis of the Tsunami of December 26, 2004, on the Kerala Coast of India—Part I: Amplitudes

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, not only affected the Bay of Bengal coast of India but also part of the Arabian Sea coast of India. In particular, the tsunami caused loss of life and heavy damage on some parts of the Kerala coast in southwest India. The tsunami traveled west, south of Sri Lanka, and some of the tsunami energy was diffracted around Sri Lanka and the southern tip of India and moved northward into the Arabian Sea. However, tsunami, being a long gravity wave with a wave length of a few hundred kilometers, has to take a wide turn. In that process, it missed the very southern part of the Kerala coast and did not achieve large amplitudes there. However, further north, the tsunami achieved amplitudes of upto 5 m and caused loss of life and significant damage. Here we identify the physical oceanographic processes that were responsible for selective amplification of the tsunami in certain locations.     

Numerical Simulation of Tsunamis on the Tamil Nadu Coast of India

The State of Tamil Nadu was the most affected region in India during the tsunami of December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean, in terms of loss of life and damage. Numerical simulation was made for three tsunamis, the December 26, 2004, event, the Sumatra tsunami of 1833, and a hypothetical tsunami originating in the Andaman-Nicobar region. Since inundation is not included in these simulations, the tsunami amplitudes were deduced at the 10m depth contour in the ocean, off several locations on the coast of Tamil Nadu. The computed amplitudes appear reasonable as compared to known tsunami amplitudes from past events.     

Statistical characteristics and mechanisms of mesoscale eddies in the North Indian Ocean

The statistical characteristics and mechanisms of mesoscale eddies in the North Indian Ocean are investigated by adopting multi-sensor satellite data from 1993 to 2019. In the Arabian Sea(AS), seasonal variation of eddy characteristics is remarkable, while the intraseasonal variability caused by planetary waves is crucial in the Bay of Bengal(BOB). Seasonal variation of the eddy kinetic energy(EKE) is distinct along the west boundary of AS,especially in the Somali Current region. In the BOB, lar...     

Monsoonal impact on circulation pathways in the Indian Ocean

Monsoon driven water mass exchange between the Bay of Bengal(Bo B) and Arabian Sea(AS) is the common experience. However, it is not yet firmly confirmed that the exchange pathway is either passing through southern tip of Sri Lanka or Palk Strait. Local circulation patterns impact the pathways followed by the East Indian Coastal Currents(EICC) that drive exchange, thereby modulating mixing and water mass transformation in the Bay of Bengal around Sri Lanka. In this study, observations from surface drifters were incorporated with the satellite derived data to understand the monsoonal impact on circulation patterns in the Indian Ocean. This was the first multi-national scientific effort which was conducted in the Bo B and AS during 2013 to 2015 to understand the monsoonal impact on circulation patterns in the complex region. The results indicated that seasonally reversing monsoonal currents of southern Sri Lanka, traced by the wintertime freshwater export pathways of the EICC. The deflection of monsoon currents running along the east coast of Sri Lanka by forming cyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies, which influence the mixing and stirring associated with these flows. Results further indicate the low salinity cold water flows from the Bo B to AS along the western boundary of the Bo B during northeast monsoon. In the same way, reverses the phenomena during southwest monsoon, transporting high salinity warm water from AS to the Bo B. This maintain the bay status which occurred due to freshwater influx from large rivers and high saline water from AS. However, no evidences were observed for the exchange through Palk Strait during the study.Also, there are some mis-matches in in-situ and remotely sensed measurements which imply the necessity of systematic observation system for the complex region as an alternative approach.     

Observations of Tsunami Impact on the Coast of Kerala, India

The tsunami generated by the December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake had a devastating effect on some parts of Kerala coast, which is a coast located in southwest India. Results of post-tsunami field surveys carried out to understand the changes in coastal morphology and sediment characteristics in the worst affected Kayamkulam region of Kerala coast are documented in this study. Analysis of offshore bathymetric data indicates the shifting of depth contours towards shore, indicating erosion of sediments and deepening of innershelf due to the tsunami. Depth measurement along the backwater (T-S canal) in the hinterland region indicates siltation due to the inundation of the canal.     

Observations of Tsunami Impact on the Coast of Kerala,India

The tsunami generated by the December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake had a devastating effect on some parts of Kerala coast, which is a coast located in southwest India. Results of post-tsunami field surveys carried out to understand the changes in coastal morphology and sediment characteristics in the worst affected Kayamkulam region of Kerala coast are documented in this study. Analysis of offshore bathymetric data indicates the shifting of depth contours towards shore, indicating erosion of sediments and deepening of innershelf due to the tsunami. Depth measurement along the backwater (T-S canal) in the hinterland region indicates siltation due to the inundation of the canal.     

Analysis of the Tsunami of December 26, 2004, on the Kerala Coast of India—Part II: Arrival Times

The Tsunami of December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean arrived on the coast of Kerala in southwest India some three hours after the tsunami was generated. The tsunami activity persisted throughout that day and, in some locations, even into the early morning of the next day. Based on interviews with eye witnesses, arrival times of tsunami waves are presented here followed by some preliminary analysis of the results.     

Tsunami Inundation Modelling for the Coast of Kerala,India

The disastrous tsunami of December 26, 2004, exposed the urgent need for implementing a tsunami warning system. One of the essential requirements of a tsunami warning system is the set up of tsunami inundation models which can predict inundation and run-up along a coastline for a given set of seismic parameters. The Tsunami Warning Centre and the State/District level Disaster Management Centres should have tsunami inundations maps for different scenarios of tsunami generation. In the event of a tsunamigenic earthquake, appropriate decisions on issue of warnings and/or evacuation of coastal population are made by referring to such maps. The nature of tsunami inundation and run-up along the Kerala coast for the 2004 Sumatra and 1945 Makran, and a hypothetical worst-case scenario are simulated using the TUNAMI N2 model and the results are presented in this paper. Further, scenarios of tsunami inundation arising out of possible rise in sea level as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2001) are also simulated and analysed in the paper. For the study, three representative sectors of the Kerala coast including the Neendakara-Kayamkulam coast, which was the worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, are chosen. The results show that the southern locations and certain locations of central Kerala coast are more vulnerable for Sumatra when compared to Makran 1945 tsunami. From the results of numerical modelling for future scenarios it can be concluded that sea level rise can definitely make pronounced increase in inundation in some of the stretches where the backshore elevation is comparatively low.     

Field measurements and numerical simulations of the 2004 tsunami impact on the south coast of Sri Lanka

This paper examines the factors that have contributed to the significant spatial variability of the impact of the December 2004 tsunami in the southern province of Sri Lanka. Documented observations of the evidence left behind by the 2004 tsunami together with numerical simulation of tsunami propagation have been utilized for this purpose. The field data examined in the present analysis comprise the maximum water levels, the horizontal inundation distances and the number of housing and other buildings damaged as a result of the 2004 tsunami whilst the numerical results considered include the distribution of the amplitude of the tsunami. The present model results confirm that source directivity controls the distribution of tsunami amplitudes farther offshore whilst large-scale bathymetric features significantly influence the tsunami propagating over the shelf. Our analyses of field data also show the dominant influence of coastal geomorphology and topography on the extent of tsunami inundation.     

印尼附近海域地震海啸发生的构造背景综述

2004年12月26日在印度尼西亚苏门答腊岛以西海域发生的里氏9级地震,引发了历史上第五大地震海啸,引起了地学界的高度关注。印度尼西亚西部位于环太平洋地震带和地中海-喜马拉雅地震带结合部位,处于洋壳和陆壳的汇聚边界以及弧状压缩构造格局中。苏门答腊陆缘NW—SE向延伸约1600km,苏门答腊俯冲带源于印度-澳大利亚和欧亚板块3°N的汇聚。苏门答腊弧前区沿着平行于俯冲海沟的两大走滑断裂——苏门答腊大断裂和明打威断裂向北运动。本文对印度尼西亚苏门答腊岛附近海域的地质背景、大地构造特征和地震活动评估等进行了综述,对该海域产生大地震的深部动力学机制进行了分析,并从地质、地球物理资料的获取与分析角度出发,对区域灾害模型进行了探讨。     

Forecasting of tsunami wave heights at the Russian coast of the Black Sea

Forecasting of tsunami wave heights at the Russian coast of the Black Sea is discussed. Prognostic numerical calculations of tsunamis were carried out for the tsunami sources uniformly distributed in the Black Sea basin (a total of 55 events). Their results are compared with the results of numerical modeling of the historical events (in 1939 and 1966) and the data of not numerous measurements. A preliminary forecast is made on this basis for the tsunami wave heights along the Russian coast of the Black Sea.     

Microbial status in seawater and coastal sediments during pre- and post-tsunami periods in the Bay of Bengal, India

Tsunami, the natural disaster, which occurred on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean, caused severe damage to mankind in the coastal areas. Total loss of life and economic loss because of this disaster have been estimated by various agencies but its effect on microbial density has not been probed. With our previous results on microbial populations in four locations of the Chennai coast of the Bay of Bengal, India in the pre‐tsunami period, the change in microbial populations was studied after the tsunami at regular intervals in the same locations. Coastal sediment and seawater samples were collected from four different locations after 5–10 h and thereafter at intervals of every 7 days up to 28 days post‐tsunami. Bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were isolated from the marine samples by serial dilution on respective media. Before the tsunami, the bacterial population was higher in seawater samples than the sediments, whereas fungi and actinomycetes were recorded only in the sediments. The microbial population remarkably increased 5–10 h post‐tsunami in all the marine samples irrespective of the location. However, it slowly declined in the subsequent days and became similar to that of the population recorded before the tsunami. The population of gram‐positive bacteria increased whereas the gram‐negative bacterial population decreased after the tsunami. Further, populations of pathogenic bacteria such as coliform and vibrios did not increase after the tsunami. It has been observed that the increase in populations of bacteria and actinomycetes even after 28 days of tsunami may be due to the introduction of foreign microorganisms that developed the ability to survive in the extreme environment by exhibiting special characteristics such as pigmentation and production of exopolysaccharides.     

斯里兰卡南部海域次重力波特征研究

次重力波在近岸水动力运动过程中起到重要作用,深入地了解次重力波对预防其引发的近岸灾害有着重要意义。结合波浪现场观测方法和数值模拟方法研究了斯里兰卡南部海域次重力波特征。短波和自由次重力波通过海浪谱模型WAVEWATCH III模拟,而约束次重力波通过二阶非线性理论模拟,数值模拟结果与现场观测结果对比吻合良好。研究结果表明,斯里兰卡南部海域大部分时间以自由次重力波为主;在强涌浪海况下（短波波高大于2.5 m,周期大于15 s）约束次重力波逐渐逼近自由次重力波甚至占主导地位;斯里兰卡大陆架极其狭窄,对涌浪的能量损耗作用极为有限,使得近岸面对强劲的涌浪及其伴生的次重力波的侵袭,增大了次重力波引发近岸水动力灾害的风险。     

A Record of Palaeo-Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

The history of catastrophic events on the Indian coast helps us to understand the frequency and magnitude of the tsunamis that occurred in the Indian Ocean. These catastrophic events have changed the coastal landscape and have left significant records for further studies. These rare events have occurred in the Indian Ocean. There have been megatsunamigenic events in the past due to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Those events due to earthquakes have proved more catastrophic than the volcanic activities. There has been limited official records of the causality and magnitude of palaeo-tsunamigenic events. These have been studied using the various proxies. The rate of sedimentation is a proportional tool to study the magnitude of a tsunami and this has proved to be a successful tool along with foraminiferal assemblages. Causes for a tsunami to occur are by and large, the subduction zone earthquakes of the Indian plate has been the most common source for tsunami in the Indian Ocean. More often the Andaman and Nicobar and the Indonesian islands have been vulnerable to tsunami than the mainland of India and Sri Lanka.

In summary, in the last 200 years at least three basin-wide tsunamis have occurred, with several smaller tsunami affecting one or more coastlines in the region. The December 2004 M-9 tsunami seems to have been the largest and most destructive in the last two centuries, suggesting most tsunami are likely to be smaller but still allowing the possibility that even larger tsunami could be generated in propitious circumstances.     

渤海海域地震海啸灾害概率性风险评估

渤海作为我国地震活动性最为活跃的近海,其地震海啸风险不可忽视。本文应用概率性海啸风险评估方法对渤海周边区域的海啸风险进行评估。根据历史地震目录建立了渤海区域的震级-频率关系,基于蒙特卡洛算法随机生成了一套10万年的地震目录,最终通过对地震事件的海啸数值模拟及最大波幅的统计分析给出了环渤海区域典型重现期的最大波幅分布以及重点城市的海啸波幅曲线。评估结果表明,渤海地区海啸风险主要集中在渤海湾和莱州湾周边,波幅可达到1~3 m,辽东湾地区海啸风险较低。     

Assessment of tsunami hazard for coastal areas of Shandong Province,China

Shandong province is located on the east coast of China and has a coastline of about 3100 km. There are only a few tsunami events recorded in the history of Shandong Province, but the tsunami hazard assessment is still necessary as the rapid economic development and increasing population of this area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential danger posed by tsunamis for Shandong Province. The numerical simulation method was adopted to assess the tsunami hazard for coastal areas of Shandong Province. The Cornell multi-grid coupled tsunami numerical model (COMCOT) was used and its efficacy was verified by comparison with three historical tsunami events. The simulated maximum tsunami wave height agreed well with the observational data. Based on previous studies and statistical analyses, multiple earthquake scenarios in eight seismic zones were designed, the magnitudes of which were set as the potential maximum values. Then, the tsunamis they induced were simulated using the COMCOT model to investigate their impact on the coastal areas of Shandong Province. The numerical results showed that the maximum tsunami wave height, which was caused by the earthquake scenario located in the sea area of the Mariana Islands, could reach up to 1.39 m off the eastern coast of Weihai city. The tsunamis from the seismic zones of the Bohai Sea, Okinawa Trough, and Manila Trench could also reach heights of >1 m in some areas, meaning that earthquakes in these zones should not be ignored. The inundation hazard was distributed primarily in some northern coastal areas near Yantai and southeastern coastal areas of Shandong Peninsula. When considering both the magnitude and arrival time of tsunamis, it is suggested that greater attention be paid to earthquakes that occur in the Bohai Sea. In conclusion, the tsunami hazard facing the coastal area of Shandong Province is not very serious; however, disasters could occur if such events coincided with spring tides or other extreme oceanic conditions. The results of this study will be useful for the design of coastal engineering projects and the establishment of a tsunami warning system for Shandong Province.     

Distribution of maximum water levels due to the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983

By measuring the maximum water level of the traces attained by the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983, we obtained the distribution along the west coast of the northeast Japan. The level reaches a maximum at the coast eastward of the epicenter and decreases with the relationship 8.6e ^–0.017x (m) with distancex (km) measured from the coast nearest to the epicenter. A small increase of levels was observed at coasts to the south of the tsunami source having distance larger than 200 km. With the aid of tide gauge records we revealed an excitation of edge wave which brought about the small increase of levels at the southern coast. In comparison with the decrease with distance obtained on the coasts of the main islands of Japan, some noticeable peaks were observed at several small islands. It is suggested that the reason why a short period component is predominant for the initial wave motion of tsunami is that the source region has depth of 3, 000 meters. The feature of wave period is discussed in comparison with that of the 1964 Niigata Tsunami.     

海啸与珊瑚礁

海岸带海啸的破坏后果更甚于风暴潮，宽广的礁坪成为向岸波浪和海啸的消能带，可减轻灾情。要警惕海啸的发生，应搞好南海海啸监测与预警，尽可能提高南海诸岛珊瑚礁岛屿建筑工程标准，切实做好南海珊瑚礁的自然保护。     

海啸波传播的线性和非线性特征及近海陆架效应影响的数值研究

浅水方程被广泛应用于海啸预警报业务及研究,而针对线性浅水方程与非线性浅水方程在不同海区水深地形条件下的适用范围、计算效率问题是海啸研究人员急需了解的。本文应用基于浅水方程的海啸数值预报模型就海啸波在南海、东海传播的线性、非线性特征以及陆架对其传播之影响进行了数值分析研究。海啸波在深水的传播表征为强线性特征,此时线性系统对海啸波幅的模拟计算具有较高的精度和效率,而弱的非线性特征及弱的色散特征对海啸波幅的预报影响甚微,可以忽略不计。海啸波传播至浅水大陆架后受海底坡度变化、海底粗糙度等因素影响,波动的非线性效应迅速传播、积累,与线性浅水方程计算的海啸波相比表现出较大差异,主要表现为:在南海区,水深小于100m时,海啸波首波以后的系列波动非线性特征比较明显,两者波幅差别较大,但首波波幅的区别不大,因此对于该区域在不考虑海啸爬高的情况下,应用线性系统计算得到的海啸波幅也可满足海啸预警报的要求;在东海区由于陆架影响,海啸波非线性特征明显增强,水深小于100m区域,首波及其后系列波波幅均差异较大,故在该区域必须考虑海啸波非线性作用。本文就底摩擦项对海啸波首波波幅的影响进行了数值对比分析,结果表明:底摩擦作用对海啸波首波波幅影响仅作用于小于100m水深。最后,该文通过敏感性试验,初步分析了陆架宽度及陆架边缘深度对海啸波波幅的影响,得出海啸波经陆架传播共振、变形后,海啸波幅的放大或减小与陆架的宽度及陆架边缘水深有关。     

Tsunamis in the central part of the Caspian Sea

This paper describes the geotectonics of the Caspian Sea basin and the seismicity of its central part. The seismicity analysis enables us to identify the most probable zones of tsunami generation. We also present a brief review of the historical records of tsunamis in the Caspian Sea. In order to estimate the tsunami risk, we used the method of numerical hydrodynamic simulation while taking into account the real topography of the Caspian Sea. The computation of the wave field for the possible tsunamis occurring in the central part of the Caspian Sea allowed us to estimate the maximum expected heights of the waves along the coast of the CIS countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan). On the basis of the earthquake statistics in the region and the results of numerical experiments, we show that the extreme wave heights can reach 10 m at certain parts of the coast. Such extreme events correspond to extended (up to 200 km) seismic sources with M _S ～ 8 and a recurrence period of T ≈ 1600 years. The tsunami wave heights are expected to be as high as 3 m for sources of lesser extent (<50 km) with earthquake magnitudes of M _S ～ 7 and a recurrence period of 200 years.