Tsunami hazard in the Eastern Mediterranean and its connected seas: Toward a Tsunami warning center in Turkey

Tsunami mitigation, preparedness and early warning initiatives have begun at the global scale only after the tragic event of Sumatra in 2004. Turkey, as a country with a history of devastating earthquakes, has been also affected by tsunamis in its past. In this paper we present the Tsunami Hazard in the Eastern Mediterranean and its connected seas (Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea) by providing detailed information on historically and instrumentally recorded significant tsunamigenic events surrounding Turkey, aiming to a better understanding of the Tsunami threat to the Turkish coasts. In addition to the review of the Tsunami hazard, we have studied a possible Tsunami source area between Rhodes and SW of Turkey using Tsunami numerical model NAMI DANCE-two nested domains. We have computed a maximum positive amplitude of 1.13 m and maximum negative amplitude of −0.5 m at the Tsunami source by this study. The distribution of maximum positive amplitudes of the water surface elevations in the selected Tsunami forecast area and time histories of water level fluctuations near selected locations (Marmaris, Dalaman, Fethiye and Kas towns) indicate that the maximum positive amplitude near the coast in the selected forecast area exceeds 3.5 m. The arrival time of maximum wave to Marmaris, Dalaman, is 10 min, while that of Fethiye and Kas towns is 15–20 min. The maximum positive amplitudes near the shallow region of around 10 m depth are 3 m (Marmaris), 1 m (Dalaman), 2 m (Fethiye) and 1 m (Kas). Maximum positive amplitudes of water elevations in the duration of 4 h simulation of the Santorini-Minoan Tsunami in around 1600 BC in the Aegean Sea are also calculated based on a simulation performed using 900 m grid resolution of Aegean sea bathymetry with a 300 m collapse of 10 km diameter of Thera (Santorini) caldera. We have also presented the results of the Tsunami modeling and simulation for Marmara Sea obtained from a previous study. Last part of this paper provides information on the establishment of a Tsunami Warning Center by KOERI, which is expected to act also as a regional center under the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS) initiative, emphasizing on the challenges together with the future work needed to be accomplished.     

Lessons Learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Tsunami: Performance of Tsunami Countermeasures, Coastal Buildings, and Tsunami Evacuation in Japan

In 2011, Japan was hit by a tsunami that was generated by the greatest earthquake in its history. The first tsunami warning was announced 3 min after the earthquake, as is normal, but failed to estimate the actual tsunami height. Most of the structural countermeasures were not designed for the huge tsunami that was generated by the magnitude M = 9.0 earthquake; as a result, many were destroyed and did not stop the tsunami. These structures included breakwaters, seawalls, water gates, and control forests. In this paper we discuss the performance of these countermeasures, and the mechanisms by which they were damaged; we also discuss damage to residential houses, commercial and public buildings, and evacuation buildings. Some topics regarding tsunami awareness and mitigation are discussed. The failures of structural defenses are a reminder that structural (hard) measures alone were not sufficient to protect people and buildings from a major disaster such as this. These defenses might be able to reduce the impact but should be designed so that they can survive even if the tsunami flows over them. Coastal residents should also understand the function and limit of the hard measures. For this purpose, non-structural (soft) measures, for example experience and awareness, are very important for promoting rapid evacuation in the event of a tsunami. An adequate communication system for tsunami warning messages and more evacuation shelters with evacuation routes in good condition might support a safe evacuation process. The combination of both hard and soft measures is very important for reducing the loss caused by a major tsunami. This tsunami has taught us that natural disasters can occur repeatedly and that their scale is sometimes larger than expected.     

Measurement and evaluation of the hydrodynamics and secondary currents in and near a strait connecting large water bodies—A field study

The straits connect two large water bodies show highly strong and stratified currents related to meteorological, morphological and hydrodynamic conditions. In some cases, spatial and temporal changes of the stratified currents and their thickness, direction and magnitude are so complex. This complexity directly affects the circulation pattern in the region, water exchange between both ends of the straits and migration of fish species. In order to understand general characteristics of this kind of straits and identifying the complexity of the hydrodynamics of the region and evaluate the secondary currents and recirculation need long term, intensive, field work and measurement studies. As an example of this kind of hydrodynamically complex straits, Bosphorus strait is selected for a field study. The Bosphorus strait has a strongly stratified two-layer system and a unique case of the maximal exchange regime typical of strait flows, which is largely determined by conditions at the Black Sea. Although the Bosphorus strait has distinct two-layer stratification with an associated two-layer system exchange, no continuous current measurements have been made so far, previous measurements all having been random sampling.In this paper, a detailed measurement program has been applied to Bosphorus strait. In the measurement program, a short-term current profile measurement at selected locations at southern part of the strait has been conveyed. Additionally a long-term measurement of current profile has been performed at a selected critical location (in front of the Dolmabahçe Palace) where a recirculation flow exists in the strait. The scope of this paper is to present the techniques and the results of analysis of measurement data. In the measurements the current profile (magnitude and direction) has been determined at every 1 m depth intervals from the surface to the sea bottom at 3 min duration at every hour. Measurements provide that lower-layer flows in northward direction from the Sea of Marmara towards the Black Sea, whereas the upper-layer flow comes from the Black Sea and flows towards the Sea of Marmara in the opposite direction of lower layer. The Bosphorus strait exhibits distinctive features associated with variations in its width and depth. The meandering features of Bosphorus also cause recirculation flows. These results of measurements are presented, discussed and compared with previous studies.     

Optimization of constitutive parameters of foundation soils k-means clustering analysis

The goal of this study was to optimize the constitutive parameters of foundation soils using a k-means algorithm with clustering analysis. A database was collected from unconfined compression tests, Pr...     

Analysis of Diffusion and Adsorption of Volatile Organic Compounds in Zeolites by a Single Pellet Moment Technique

The diffusion and adsorption of two common volatile organic compounds, i. e., methanol and benzene, in different zeolite pellets were studied experimentally by using the single pellet moment technique. The experiments were conducted in a one‐sided single pellet adsorption cell at different temperatures in the range between 303 and 343 K. The results showed that both volatile organic tracers were adsorbed reversibly onto all zeolite samples. The overall adsorption equilibrium constants of both volatile organic compounds decreased with increasing temperature. The adsorption of the tracers onto the zeolite samples were found to increase in the order of NaY > clinoptilolite > 4A. In the range between 303 and 343 K, the adsorption constants of benzene range from 10.51 to 5.52 for zeolite 4A, from 11.90 to 6.37 for clinoptilolite and from 20.32 to 9.82 for NaY. The adsorption constants of methanol range from 19.05 to 8.26 for zeolite 4A, from 38.40 to 9.12 for clinoptilolite and from 74.21 to 14.70 for NaY at temperatures between 303 and 333 K. The effective diffusivities for benzene varied from 2.20·10^–6 to 13.01·10^–6 m²/s, whereas for methanol, they varied from 9.80·10^–6 to 15.60·10^–6 m²/s at the temperatures studied.     

Soil characterization of Tınaztepe region (İzmir/Turkey) using surface wave methods and nakamura (HVSR) technique

To determine the shear wave velocity structure and predominant period features of T?naztepe in ?zmir, Turkey, where new building sites have been planned, active–passive surface wave methods and single-station microtremor measurements are used, as well as surface acquisition techniques, including the multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), refraction microtremor (ReMi), and the spatial autocorrelation method (SPAC), to pinpoint shallow and deep shear wave velocity. For engineering bedrock (V _s > 760 m/s) conditions at a depth of 30 m, an average seismic shear wave velocity in the upper 30 m of soil (AV_s30) is not only accepted as an important parameter for defining ground behavior during earthquakes, but a primary parameter in the geotechnical analysis for areas to be classified by V _s30 according to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). It is also determined that Z1.0, which represents a depth to V _s = 1000 m/s, is used for ground motion prediction and changed from 0 to 54 m. The sediment–engineering bedrock structure for T?naztepe that was obtained shows engineering bedrock no deeper than 30 m. When compared, the depth of engineering bedrock and dominant period map and geology are generally compatible.