Assessing the threat to Western Australia from tsunami generated by earthquakes along the Sunda Arc

A suite of tsunami spaced evenly along the subduction zone to the south of Indonesia (the Sunda Arc) were numerically modelled in order to make a preliminary estimate of the level of threat faced by Western Australia from tsunami generated along the Arc. Offshore wave heights from these tsunami were predicted to be significantly higher along the northern part of the west Australian coast than for the rest of the coast south of the town of Exmouth. In particular, the area around Exmouth may face a higher tsunami hazard than other areas of the West Australian coast nearby. Large earthquakes offshore of Java and Sumbawa are likely to be a greater hazard to WA than those offshore of Sumatra. Our numerical models indicate that a magnitude 9 or above earthquake along the eastern part of the Sunda Arc has the potential to significantly impact a large part of the West Australian coastline. The Australian government reserves the right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free license in and to any copyright.     

1605年琼山强地震导致的同震海岸快速下沉、可能紧随的海啸及其证据

根据琼州府志、琼山县志及一些家谱、族谱等的记载,再加上对海域中退潮后海底残留的房屋、坟墓等各种沉没于海的人类活动废墟和东寨港海域中地震地貌的发现与考察,结合本人和前人以往的研究成果,证实1605年7月13日海南岛琼山县发生的71/2级强地震导致琼州海峡东南侧与琼北陆地相连的海底及与海相连的琼北东部一些沿岸陆地大面积同震快速下沉,使得原先为陆地的东寨港、北创港和舖前港及其以北海域等地区大面积陆陷成海。这是一次生源地在与海相连的海岸带的同震海岸下沉。推断了这次地震海啸;比较了这次陆陷成海地震海啸与生源地在近海和大洋海底的地震海啸的异同;也与北美西海岸生源地在太平洋板块斜插在北美大陆板块之下形成消减带的海岸同震下沉及海啸比较了异同。最后还提出,琼州大地震陆陷成海灾害应从根本上区别通常所说的震陷灾害。     

The Southern Region of Peru Earthquake of June 23rd, 2001

The western border of South America is one of the most important seismogenic regions in the world. In this region the most damaging earthquake ever recorded occurred. In June 23rd, 2001, another very strong earthquake (Mw = 8.1–8.2) occurred and produced death and damages in the whole southern region of Peru. This earthquake was originated by a friction process between Nazca and South American plates and affected an area of about 300 km × 120 km defined by the distribution of more than 220 aftershocks recorded by a local seismic network that operated 20 days. The epicenter of the main shock was localized in the northwestern extremity of the aftershock area, which suggests that the rupture propagated towards the SE direction. The modeling of P-wave for teleseismic distances permitted to define a focal mechanism of reverse type with NW-SE oriented nodal planes and a possible fault plane moving beneath almost horizontally in NE direction. The source time function (STF) suggests a complex process of rupture during 85 sec with 2 successive sources. The second one of greater size, and located approximately 100–120 km toward the SE direction was estimated to have a rupture velocity of about 2 km/sec on a 28°-dipping plane to the SE (N135°). A second event happened 45 sec after the first one with an epicenter 130km farther to the SE and a complex STF. This event and the second source of the main shock caused a Tsunami with waves from 7 to 8 meters that propagated almost orthogonally to the coast line, by affecting mainly the Camaná area.Three of all the aftershocks presented magnitudes greater or equal to Mw = 6.6, two of them occurred in front of the cities of Ilo and Mollendo (June 26th and July 7th) with focal mechanisms similar to the main seismic event. The aftershock of July 5th shows a normal mechanism at a depth of 75 km, and is therefore most likely located within the subducting Nazca plate and not in the coupling. The aftershocks of June 26th (Mw = 6.6) and July 5th (Mw = 6.6) show simple short duration STF. The aftershock of July 7th (Mw = 7.5) with 27-second duration suggests a complex process of energy release with the possible occurrence of a secondary shock with lower focal depth and focal mechanism of inverse type with a great lateral component. Simple and composed focal mechanisms were elaborated for the aftershocks and all have similar characteristics to the main earthquake.The earthquake of June 23rd caused major damages in the whole southern Peru. The damage in towns of Arequipa, Moquegua allow to consider maximum intensities from 6 to 7 (MSK79). In Alto de la Alianza and Ciudad Nueva zones from Tacna, the maximum intensity was of 7⁻ (MSK79).     

Tsunami runup on steep slopes: How good linear theory really is

This is a study of the application of linear theory for the estimation of the maximum runup height of long waves on plane beaches. The linear theory is reviewed and a method is presented for calculating the maximum runup. This method involves the calculation of the maximum value of an integral, now known as the runup integral. Laboratory and numerical results are presented to support this method. The implications of the theory are used to reevaluate many existing empirical runup correlations. It is shown that linear theory predicts the maximum runup satisfactorily. This study demonstrates that it is now possible to match complex offshore wave-evolution algorithms with linear theory runup solutions for the purpose of obtaining realistic tsunami inundation estimates.     

On some future tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean

Possible tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, especially in its northeastern part, are discussed in relation to a predicted major earthquake in the Shumagin Seismic Gap (located in the eastern part of the Aleutian Island Chain) and to a major eruption of the St. Augustine volcano in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The deep-water propagation of the tsunami generated in the Shumagin Gap is simulated through the use of a spherical polar coordinate grid of the approximate size of 14km. The tsunami generated by the St. Augustine volcano is studied through the fine mesh grid confined to the Cook Inlet only. The numerical models were calibrated against historical tsunami data. The properties of the tsunami signal are described by the maximum amplitude which occurs in the tsunami record. This allows us to single out the direction along which a maximum tsunami is to be expected.Presented at the International Conference on Natural and Man-Made Hazards in Coastal Zones, held in Ensenada, Mexico, August 1988.     

Exact analytical solutions of nonlinear problems of tsunami wave run-up on slopes with different profiles

A review of papers investigating tsunami wave run-up on a beach is given and the control parameters of the problem are revealed. There are two such parameters in the case of ideal fluid: the bottom sloping angle and the breaking parameter. A stage-by-stage approach for finding run-up characteristics is formulated: the linear calculation of shoreline oscillations and the subsequent non-linear transformation of the solution according to the Riemann method. Solution of the nononedimensional problems of wave run-up on a beach in the linear formulation is obtained.     

海啸及其在核电厂选址中的安全评价

海啸大小的量度应包括关于海啸“源”处大小的描述,“源”处海啸的大小与地壳形变规模和方式有着直接的关系。在海啸与地震的关系中,除了地震震级外,强调了震源破裂方式这一因素。阐述了关于核电厂选址安全评价中历史资料的整理、分析,对未来海啸“源”的预测、海啸传播路径的调查和分析以及综合评价等4个方面进行了讨论     

French Polynesia Tsunami Warning Center (CPPT)

Since 1964, the Geophysical Laboratory in Tahiti has been charged with the responsibility of issuing tsunami warnings. But this research laboratory is also designed to conduct other missions. One of them is to study an oversee seismicity and volcanism in the South Central Pacific. For this activity the Geophysical Laboratory, which is also the French Polynesia Tsunami Warning Center (Centre Polynésien de Prévention des Tsunamis — CPPT), processes the data recorded by the Polynesian Seismic Network which includes 21 short-period stations, 4 broad-band three-component long period stations, and 2 tide gauge stations. These stations are, for the most, telemetered to CPPT in Tahiti which is equipped wilh data processing capabilities.At CPPT, Tsunami Warning is based on the measurement of the Seismic Moment through the mantle magnitudeM _m and the proportionality of observed tsunami height to this seismic moment.The new mantle magnitude scale,M _m, uses the measurement of the mantle of Rayleigh and Love wave energy in the 50–300 s period range and is directly related to the seismic moment throughM _m = logM _o – 20. Knowledge of the seismic moment allows an estimation of a range of high seas amplitudes for the expectable tsunami.The relation that estimates the tsunami height according to the seismic moment is based on the normal mode tsunami theory but also fits a dataset of 17 tsunamis recorded at Papeete (PPT) since 1958. This procedure is fully automatic: a computer detects, locates and estimates the seismic moment through theM _m magnitude and, in terms of moment, gives an amplitude window for the expected tsunami. These-several operations are executed in real time. In addition, the operator can use historical references and, if necessary, acoustic T waves.This automatic procedure, which has been operating at the CPPT since 1986, is certainly transposable and applicable to other tsunami warning centers that issue warnings for earthquakes detected more than 1000 km away, and has significant potential in the regional field.     

Analysis of the Tsunami of December 26, 2004, on the Kerala Coast of India—Part III: Inundation and Initial Withdrawal

During the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, specific observations were made by our survey team about the arrival times of several tsunami waves, their amplitudes, maximum extent of horizontal inundation on land and initial withdrawal of the ocean. Here the observations on the horizontal inundation and initial withdrawal are presented and briefly discussed.