Generation of Meteorological Tsunamis (Large Amplitude Seiches) Near the Balearic and Kuril Islands

Extreme atmosphere-induced seiche oscillations occasionally occur in specific inlets and bays of the world ocean causing severe damage to coastal areas, ships and port constructions. Ciutadella inlet (Menorca Island, Western Mediterranean) can be singled out as a place where such large seiches, locally known as rissaga, are quite common. Similar (although weaker) oscillations are also regularly observed in bays of Shikotan Island (South Kuril Islands, northwestern Pacific). Several spectacular events in these regions, identified in the first part of this study (Rabinovich and Monserrat, 1996), are analysed to determine the atmospheric parameters responsible for the generation of large-amplitude seiches. Their generation mechanism was shown to be quite different from that causing ordinary background oscillations. Coincidence of some external factors and certain resonance effects seem to be necessary to produce the destructive waves. In particular, rissaga waves in Ciutadella inlet were found to be related to significant atmospheric disturbances propagating from the southwest, coinciding with the orientation of the inlet, and having a phase speed of about 3 m/s, which is close to the phase speed of long waves offshore from Menorca. Pronounced resonant properties of the inner basin strongly amplify incoming waves in Ciutadella inlet. In contrast, the bays of the northwestern coast of Shikotan Island are protected from normally incident atmosphere-induced waves by the elongated Kunashir Island, hence the whole situation there is not so favorable for the excitation of large seiches.     

Simultaneous meteorological tsunamis and storm surges at Buenos Aires coast,southeastern South America

Meteorological tsunamis are frequently observed in different tide stations at the southeastern coast of South America. They are associated with the occurrence of atmospheric gravity waves during the passages of cold fronts over the Buenos Aires Province continental shelf. On the other hand, storm surges are also frequent in the region, and they are associated with strong and persistent southerlies, which are also frequent during cold front passages. The impact of meteorological tsunamis in coastal erosion and in the statistics of storm surge trends is discussed in this paper. For this study, fifteen meteorological tsunamis (with maximum wave heights higher than 0.20 m), seven of them simultaneous to the occurrence of storm surge events (with extreme levels higher than |±0.60 m|), are selected from April 2010 to January 2013. The impact of meteorological tsunamis in the storm erosion potential index (SEPI) is evaluated. Not significant differences are obtained between SEPI calculated with and without filtering the meteorological tsunami signal from the storm surge data series. Moreover, several experiments are carried out computing SEPI from synthetic sea level data series, but very low changes (lower than 4 %) are also obtained. It is concluded that the presence of moderate meteorological tsunamis on sea level records would not enhance this index at the Buenos Aires Province coast. On the other hand, taking into account that meteorological tsunamis can reach up the 20–30 % of the storm surge height, it was concluded that the statistics of storm surge trends (and their uncertainties) should be revised for Mar del Plata data series.     

Recent observations of meteotsunamis on the Finnish coast

We present four case studies of exceptional wave events of meteorological origin, observed on the Finnish coast in the summers of 2010 and 2011. Eyewitnesses report unusually rapid and strong sea-level variations (up to 1 m in 5–15 min) and strong oscillating currents during these events. High-resolution sea-level measurements confirm the eyewitness observations, but the oscillations recorded by tide gauges mostly have a considerably smaller amplitude. The oscillations coincide with sudden jumps in surface air pressure at coastal observation stations, related to the passage of squall lines or gust fronts. These fronts propagate above the sea at a resonant speed, allowing efficient energy transfer between the atmospheric disturbance and the sea wave that it generates. Thus, we interpret the observed sea-level oscillations as small meteotsunamis, long tsunami-like waves generated by meteorological processes and resonance effects.     

Tsunamigenic slope failures: the Pacific Islands ‘blind spot’?

We discuss issues related to a recognised shortcoming in existing tsunami hazard assessments for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), that of tsunamigenic slope failures (TSFs). Currently, TSFs are most likely underrepresented as sources in existing tsunami databases for two key reasons. First, relatively low magnitude earthquakes associated with subduction zones are generally assigned as the tsunamigenic source, as opposed to the TSFs they generate. A reassessment of such ‘anomalous tsunamis’ may yield clues that serve to reassign their tsunamigenic source. Second, there are thousands of oceanic islands and seamounts scattered across the Pacific and flank collapse of volcanic edifices such as these is a largely unquantified tsunamigenic threat. However, while it is now possible to model such TSFs, this is unlikely to happen in the near future because of the lack of detailed bathymetry and landslide mass data. Recent developments in the identification of past tsunamis in the Pacific Islands have developed a unique range of indicators that can be used for identifying such events. These are geological, oral tradition and archaeological components that include, but are not limited to, a modified Darwinian model of atoll formation, coastal megaclasts, oral traditions of vanished islands and giant waves, and the abandonment of prehistoric coastal sites. As such, the most logical way forward is to use the multiple indicators available to us to identify evidence of past tsunamis.     

Evidence of extreme wave events from boulder deposits on the south-east coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Large boulder accumulations have been observed on various coasts bordering the Mediterranean and have been associated with extreme wave events such as powerful storms or tsunamis. This study provides an in-depth analysis of 430 boulder deposits, located along a 3.5 km stretch of rocky coast situated on the SE of the Maltese Islands. It includes a geomorphometric analysis of the observed boulders and use of numerical modelling to estimate wave height required to initiate boulder movement. Comparisons of aerial imagery over a period of 46 years have made it possible to identify boulder movement that could only be attributed to storm waves, given that no local tsunamigenic event has been recorded over this time period. Positioned in the central Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands are exposed to potential tsunamis generated by seismic activity associated with the Malta Escarpment, and the Calabrian and Hellenic arcs. Although imprints from historic tsunami impact cannot be excluded, results indicate that the area is exposed to strong storm waves that are capable of displacing some of the very large boulders observed on site.     

Coastal morphology and beach stability along Thiruvananthapuram,south-west coast of India

Shoreline changes are largely dependent on coastal morphology. South-west coast of India is a high energy coast characterised by monsoon high waves, steep beach face and medium-sized beach sand. Waves are generally from west and west south-west during rough monsoon season and from south-west during fair weather season. Shoreline change along this coast is studied with reference to coastal morphological features. Various morphological features, modifications and chronological positions of shoreline are analysed with the information derived from multidated satellite imageries, toposheets and GPS shoreline mapping along with extended field survey. Image processing and GIS techniques have been used for the analysis of data and presentation of results. Sediment accumulation on the leeward side of artificial structures such as harbour breakwaters and groynes is used as a sediment transport indicator. Artificial structures such as seawalls, groynes and harbour breakwaters modify morphology. Shoreline south of headlands/promontories and breakwaters are stable or accreting due to net northerly longshore sediment transport while erosion tendency is observed on the north side. Lateritic cliffs fronting the sea or with seasonal beach undergo slumping and cliff edge retreat as episodic events. Spits adjoining tidal inlets are prone to shoreline variations due to oscillations of inlet mouth. Interventions in the form of inlet stabilization and construction of coastal protection structures trigger erosion along adjoining coasts. Seawalls constructed along highly eroding coasts get damaged, whereas those constructed along monsoon berm crest with frontal beaches for protection against monsoon wave attack are retained. Fishing gaps within seawalls are areas of severe temporary erosion during rough monsoon season. Accretion or erosion accompanies construction of harbour breakwaters in a stable coastal plain. Close dependence of shoreline changes on morphology necessitates detailed understanding of impacts on morphology prior to introducing any intervention in the coastal zone.     

Meteotsunami in the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic coast of the United States generated by the “derecho” of June 29–30, 2012

Tsunami-like intense sea-level oscillations, associated with atmospheric activity (meteorological tsunamis), are common in the Great Lakes and on the East Coast of the United States. They are generated by various types of atmospheric disturbances including hurricanes, frontal passages, tornados, trains of atmospheric gravity waves, and derechos. “Derecho” is a rapidly moving line of convectively induced intense thunder storm fronts producing widespread damaging winds and squalls. The derecho of June 29–30, 2012 devastatingly propagated from western Iowa to the Atlantic coast, passing more than 1,000 km and producing wind gusts up to 35 m/s. This derecho induced pronounced seiche oscillations in Lake Michigan, Chesapeake Bay, and along the US Atlantic coast. Sea-level records from the updated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide gauge network, together with the NOAA and automated surface-observing system air pressure and wind records, enabled us to examine physical properties and temporal/spatial variations of the generated waves. Our findings indicate that the generation mechanisms of extreme seiches in the basins under study are significantly different: energetic winds play the main role in seiche formation in Chesapeake Bay; atmospheric pressure disturbances are most important for the Atlantic coast; and the combined effect of pressure oscillations and wind is responsible for pronounced events in the Great Lakes. The “generation coefficient,” which is the ratio of the maximum observed sea-level height and the height of air pressure disturbance, was used to map the sea-level response and to identify “hot spots” for this particular event, i.e., harbors and bays with amplified seiche oscillations. The Froude number, Fr = U/c, where U is the speed of the atmospheric disturbance and c is the long-wave speed, is the key parameter influencing the water response to specific atmospheric disturbances; the maximum response was found for those regions and disturbance parameters for which Fr ~1.0.     

Evidence of extreme wave events from boulder deposits on the south-east coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Large boulder accumulations have been observed on various coasts bordering the Mediterranean and have been associated with extreme wave events such as powerful storms or tsunamis. This study provides an in-depth analysis of 430 boulder deposits, located along a 3.5 km stretch of rocky coast situated on the SE of the Maltese Islands. It includes a geomorphometric analysis of the observed boulders and use of numerical modelling to estimate wave height required to initiate boulder movement. Comparisons of aerial imagery over a period of 46 years have made it possible to identify boulder movement that could only be attributed to storm waves, given that no local tsunamigenic event has been recorded over this time period. Positioned in the central Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands are exposed to potential tsunamis generated by seismic activity associated with the Malta Escarpment, and the Calabrian and Hellenic arcs. Although imprints from historic tsunami impact cannot be excluded, results indicate that the area is exposed to strong storm waves that are capable of displacing some of the very large boulders observed on site.

     

Tsunami Hazard for the Auckland Region and Hauraki Gulf,New Zealand

The Hauraki Gulf is a semi-enclosed sea next to the largest population centre in New Zealand, the Auckland metropolitan region. The potential tsunami hazard is of concern to regional and local planners around the Hauraki Gulf. The Hauraki Gulf has recorded 11 tsunamis and one meteorological tsunami (rissaga) since 1840.The historical tsunami data are relatively sparse, particularly for the largest events in 1868 and 1883. Moreover, local sources may produce damaging tsunamis but none has occurred during recorded history. Therefore numerical modelling of potential tsunami events provides a powerful tool to obtain data for planning purposes. Three main scenarios have been identified for numerical modelling:1. A teletsunami event from an earthquake off the West Coast of South America. Historically this region has produced the largest teletsunamis in the Hauraki Gulf.2. A tsunami generated by a local earthquake along the Kerepehi Fault. This fault bisects the Gulf, has been active during the last century at the southern inland end, and is overlain by a considerable thickness of soft sediment that may amplify the seismic waves.3. A tsunami generated by a volcanic eruption within the Auckland Volcanic Field. This field has involved a series of mainly monogenetic basaltic eruptions over the last 140,000 years. Many of these eruptions have involved phreatomagmatic eruptions around the coastal margins, or within the shallow waters close to Auckland.     

Sedimentary evidence of prehistoric distant-source tsunamis in the Hawaiian Islands

Over the past 200 years of written records, the Hawaiian Islands have experienced tens of tsunamis generated by earthquakes in the subduction zones of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ (for example, Alaska–Aleutian, Kuril–Kamchatka, Chile and Japan). Mapping and dating anomalous beds of sand and silt deposited by tsunamis in low-lying areas along Pacific coasts, even those distant from subduction zones, is critical for assessing tsunami hazard throughout the Pacific basin. This study searched for evidence of tsunami inundation using stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of potential tsunami deposits beneath present and former Hawaiian wetlands, coastal lagoons, and river floodplains. Coastal wetland sites on the islands of Hawai΄i, Maui, O΄ahu and Kaua΄i were selected based on historical tsunami runup, numerical inundation modelling, proximity to sandy source sediments, degree of historical wetland disturbance, and breadth of prior geological and archaeological investigations. Sand beds containing marine calcareous sediment within peaty and/or muddy wetland deposits on the north and north-eastern shores of Kaua΄i, O΄ahu and Hawai΄i were interpreted as tsunami deposits. At some sites, deposits of the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian tsunamis are analogues for deeper, older probable tsunami deposits. Radiocarbon-based age models date sand beds from three sites to ca 700 to 500 cal yr bp , which overlaps ages for tsunami deposits in the eastern Aleutian Islands that record a local subduction zone earthquake. The overlapping modelled ages for tsunami deposits at the study sites support a plausible correlation with an eastern Aleutian earthquake source for a large prehistoric tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands.     

Observations of meteorological tsunamis along the south-west Australian coast

Tide gauge data were used to identify the occurrence, characteristics, and cause of tsunamis of meteorological origin (termed ‘meteotsunamis’) along the Western Australian coast. This is the first study to identify meteotsunamis in this region, and the results indicated that they occur frequently. Although meteotsunamis are not catastrophic to the extent of major seismically induced basin-scale events, the wave heights of meteotsunamis examined at some local stations in this study were higher than those recorded through seismic tsunamis. In June 2012, a meteotsunami contributed to an extreme water-level event at Fremantle, which recorded the highest water level in over 115 years. Meteotsunamis (wave heights >0.4 m, when the mean tidal range in the region is ~0.5 m) were found to coincide with thunderstorms in summer and the passage of low-pressure systems during winter. Spectral analysis of tide gauge time series records showed that existing continental seiche oscillations (periods between 30 min and 5 h) were enhanced during the meteotsunamis, with a high proportion of energy transferred to the continental shelf oscillation period. Three recent meteotsunami events (22 March 2010, 10 June 2012, and 7 January 2013) two due to summer thunderstorms and one due to a winter frontal system were chosen for detailed analysis. The meteotsunami amplitudes were up to a factor 2 larger than the local tidal range and sometimes contributed up to 85 % of the non-tidal water signal. A single meteorological event was found to generate several meteotsunamis along the coast, up to 500 km apart, as the air pressure disturbance propagated over the continental shelf; however, the topography and local bathymetry of the continental shelf defined the local sea-level resonance characteristics at each location. With the available data (sea level and meteorological), the exact mechanisms for the generation of the meteotsunamis could not be isolated.     

Tsunami awareness: a comparative assessment between Japan and the USA

Awareness about the threats posed by different types of coastal disasters has increased throughout the world, as people are exposed to the nature of these hazards through media reports on events in distant countries. This has resulted in coastal residents being aware about the destructive power of tsunamis, despite no such events having taken place in their country in recent times. Regardless of this increased awareness, it has been hypothesized that there is still need for local governments to enact adequate policies to raise the awareness of local residents, for example, by holding regular evacuation drills. The present research presents a comparative assessment of tsunami awareness in two tourist destinations in Japan and the USA, which was derived through structured questionnaire surveys of beach users in the city of Kamakura and various coastal cities in Florida. The results show how despite relatively high level of awareness tsunamis still pose a considerable risk to each of the communities, for example, due to shortcoming in evacuation knowledge and infrastructure.     

Tsunamis and Tsunami Hazards in Central America

A tsunami catalogue for Central America is compiledcontaining 49 tsunamis for the period 1539–1996,thirty seven of them are in the Pacific and twelve inthe Caribbean. The number of known tsunamis increaseddramatically after the middle of the nineteenth century,since 43 events occurred between 1850 and 1996. This isprobably a consequence of the lack of populationliving near the coast in earlier times.The preliminary regionalization of the earthquakessources related to reported tsunamis shows that, inthe Pacific, most events were generated by theCocos-Caribbean Subduction Zone (CO-CA). At theCaribbean side, 5 events are related with the NorthAmerican-Caribbean Plate Boundary (NA-CA) and 7 withthe North Panama Deformed Belt (NPDB).There are ten local tsunamis with a specific damagereport, seven in the Pacific and the rest in theCaribbean. The total number of casualties due to localtsunamis is less than 455 but this number could behigher. The damages reported range from coastal andship damage to destruction of small towns, and theredoes not exist a quantification of them.A preliminary empirical estimation of tsunami hazardindicates that 43% of the large earthquakes (Ms 7.0) along the Pacific Coast of Central America and100% along the Caribbean, generate tsunamis. On thePacific, the Guatemala–Nicaragua coastal segment hasa 32% probability of generating tsunamis after largeearthquakes while the probability is 67% for theCosta Rica–Panama segment. Sixty population centers onthe Pacific Coast and 44 on the Caribbean are exposedto the impact of tsunamis. This estimation alsosuggests that areas with higher tsunami potential inthe Pacific are the coasts from Nicaragua to Guatemalaand Central Costa Rica; on the Caribbean side, Golfode Honduras Zone and the coasts of Panama and CostaRica have major hazard. Earthquakes of magnitudelarger than 7 with epicenters offshore or onshore(close to the coastline) could trigger tsunamis thatwould impact those zones.     

Tsunamis on the Russian Pacific coast: history and current situation

The Pacific coast, including the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuriles, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea, is the main tsunami-prone area in Russia. The Far East tsunamis are much more frequent, extensive, and devastating than those in the Black, Caspian, Baltic, and White Sea coasts, as well as in major inland lakes of Baikal, Ladoga, etc. The tsunami catalog of the Russian Far East from 1737 to present lists 110 events with mainly near-field and few far-field sources (105 and 5 events, respectively). Most of the catalogued tsunamis (95 cases) were induced by earthquakes, and few events had volcanic (3), landsliding (2), meteorological (3), and unknown (2) triggers. Altogether there were eleven devastating tsunamis for the period of observations, with > 10 m heights, two of which were great events in 1737 and 1952, when the waves exceeded 20 m. The wave heights were in the range 2.5-10 m in fifteen hazardous tsunami events and within the tidal range (~ 1-2 m) in thirteen cases; the other events were small and detectable only instrumentally. Thus, the average recurrence times for tsunamis of different magnitudes in the Russian Pacific coast are 25 years for devastating events and 10-15 years for hazardous tsunamis; small tsunamis occur almost every year, according to statistics for the last sixty years collected at the regional network of tide stations. The topics discussed in the paper concern the completeness and reliability of the Far East catalog; distribution of tsunami events in space and time; correlation between the intensity of tsunami and the magnitude of the causative undersea earthquake; tsunami recurrence; tsunami warning; and long-term hazard assessment and mapping.     

The problem of past megatsunami reconstructions on the southern Kurils

Tsunamis are reconstructed on the basis of distribution of tsunamigenic sediments in coastal lowland sections. Reflections of anomalous tsunamis are recorded in detail in the lacustrine–boggy sections of the Lesser Kuril Ridge, while only fragments of these sediments have been found on the islands of the Greater Kuril Ridge. The distribution and composition of the sediments left by recent large-scale tsunamis (locally documented 1994 and 1894 Shikotan tsunamis and transoceanic 2011 Tohoku tsunami) are analyzed for the purpose of understanding deposition features during large and megatsunamis. Interregional correlation of the events during the last ~2.5 kyr is carried out with estimation of their scales. It is established that large events took place in the 17th and 18th centuries and approximately at 1.0, 1.4–1.6, 1.7–1.8, and 2.0–2.1 ka ago. New data on large tsunami chronology since the Middle Holocene are presented. A unique natural peatland section with abundant tsunamigenic sand layers is studied on the Pacific side of Zelenyi Island (Rudnya Bay), where deposition continued through the entire Holocene. The largest tsunamis which happened on the South Kuril Islands during the last ~7.5 kyr and can be classed as megatsunamis are revealed.     

Longwave Measurements for the Coast of British Columbia and Improvements to the Tsunami Warning Capability

A few years ago the Canadian Hydrographic Service initiated a major upgrade toall tide gauges and tsunami stations on the coast of British Columbia (B.C.). Thisprogram was undertaken to address shortcomings of the earlier digital systems andwas driven by concerns about emergency response continuity in the year 2000. By1999, thirteen tide gauge stations had been installed and were operational. Three ofthese stations (Tofino, Winter Harbour, and Langara) were selected for use as tsunamiwarning stations. Several years of continuous, high quality data have now been collectedat these stations and used for analysis of long waves in the tsunami frequency band.Careful examination of these data revealed two weak tsunamis recorded by severalB.C. stations: a distant tsunami of June 23, 2001 generated by the Peru Earthquake(M_w = 8.4), and a local tsunami of October 12, 2001 induced by the Queen Charlotte Earthquake (M_w = 6.3$). Spectral characteristics of these two tsunamis are compared with the spectral characteristics of long waves generated by a strong storm (October, 2000) and of ordinary background oscillations. The topographic admittance functions (frequency responses) constructed for all stations showed that most of them (in particular, Winter Harbour, Tofino, Bamfield, Port Hardy, and Victoria) have strong resonance at periods from 2.5 to 20 min, indicating that these locations are vulnerable to relatively high-frequency tsunamis. The Winter Harbour station also has two strong resonant peaks with periods of 30 and 47 min and with amplification factors of about 7. The estimated source functions show very clear differences between long waves associated with the seismic source (typical periods 10–30 min) and those generated by a storm, which typically have shorter periods and strong energy pumping from high-frequencies due to non-linear interaction of wind waves.     

海上大气波导研究进展

大气波导是对流层中具有异常大气折射率梯度的大气层,对于评估和预测电磁波传播和海上探测通信系统等具有重要的科学意义和应用价值.以海上发生的大气波导类型为线索总结了与大气波导相关的研究方法.在蒸发波导研究中以相似理论为基础,开发蒸发波导诊断模型为重点,开展区域海域适应性研究;海上悬空波导和表面波导从早期的定性分析到目前精确定量研究过程中,中尺度数值模式逐渐成为极其重要的研究手段,不仅提高了特定天气过程中大气波导模拟预测精度,而且在此基础上开展区域大气波导环境研究,分析其出现规律、气候原因等.针对海上大气波导研究现状,借鉴气象上的手段和技术,开展海上水文气象调查和电波传播实验,结合中尺度数值模式和海气耦合模式,采用同化技术和集合预报等手段,提高海上低空大气波导量化精度.     

Meteorite impacts in the ocean: the danger of tsunamis on the coast of Buenos Aires Province,Argentina

Natural Hazards - Comets, meteorites, or asteroids impacting against the Earth are not unusual events. Such impacts on the ocean could produce tsunamis which can reach coastal areas. This paper...     

The hazard exposure of the Maltese Islands

International comparisons of disaster risk frequently classify Malta as being one of the least hazard exposed countries. Such rankings may be criticised because: (1) they fail to take into account historic increases in population and its seasonal variation; (2) they are based on inadequately researched and incomplete historical catalogues of damaging events; and (3), for small island states like Malta, they do not take into account the implications of restricted land area, which can be disproportionately impacted by even small hazardous events. In this paper, we draw upon a variety of data to discuss disaster risk in the Maltese Islands. In particular, the notion that Malta is one of the ‘safest places on earth’ is not only misleading, but also potentially dangerous because it engenders a false sense of security amongst the population. We argue that Malta is exposed to a variety of extreme events, which include: the distal effects of major earthquakes originating in southern Italy and Greece, plus their associated tsunamis; major ash producing eruptions of Mount Etna (Sicily) and their putative impacts on air transport; storm waves; coastal/inland landslides; karstic collapse; flooding and drought. In criticising international rankings of the islands’ exposure, we highlight the issues involved in formulating hazard assessments, in particular incomplete catalogues of extreme natural events. With Malta witnessing swelling resident, seasonal (i.e. tourist) plus foreign-born populations and increases in the urban area, further research into hazards is required in order to develop evidence-based policies of disaster risk reduction (DRR).