Tsunami observations in the open ocean

Deep-sea tsunami measurements play a major role in understanding the physics of tsunami wave generation and propagation, and in the creation of an effective tsunami warning system. The paper provides an overview of the history of tsunami recording in the open ocean from the beginning (about 50 years ago) to the present day. It describes modern tsunami monitoring systems, including the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART), innovative Japanese bottom cable projects, and the NEPTUNE-Canada geophysical bottom observatory. The specific peculiarities of seafloor longwave observations in the deep ocean are discussed and compared with those recorded in coastal regions. Tsunami detection in bottom presure observations is exemplified based on analysis of distant (22000 km) records of the 2004 Sumatra tsunami in the northeastern Pacific.     

Evidence of geodynamical processes in the ancient crust from the seismoacoustic model of the kola superdeep borehole

The spectral-profile and wavelet analyses are applied for estimating the periodicity in the depth variations of the elastic wave velocities in the detailed seismoacoustic model of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. The geological confinement of the revealed multiscale periodicity and its relationship with the geodynamical processes in the Earth??s crust are considered. The hierarchical sequence of the sizes of the blocks identified in the section is determined; this hierarchy is consistent with the geophysical structure of the medium.     

Evidence of geodynamical processes in the ancient crust from the seismoacoustic model of the kola superdeep borehole

The spectral-profile and wavelet analyses are applied for estimating the periodicity in the depth variations of the elastic wave velocities in the detailed seismoacoustic model of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. The geological confinement of the revealed multiscale periodicity and its relationship with the geodynamical processes in the Earth’s crust are considered. The hierarchical sequence of the sizes of the blocks identified in the section is determined; this hierarchy is consistent with the geophysical structure of the medium.

     

Drifter Observations of Anticyclonic Eddies near Bussol' Strait, the Kuril Islands

Hydrographic surveys and satellite imaging reveal that mesoscale anticyclonic (AC) eddies are common features of the area south of Bussol' Strait, the deepest of the Kuril straits connecting the western North Pacific and Sea of Okhotsk. To examine the velocity structure of these eddies, we deployed groups of 15-m drogued satellite-tracked surface drifters over the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench in the fall of 1990 and late summer of 1993. Drifters in both groups entered large AC eddies centered over the axis of the trench seaward of Bussol' Strait and subsequently underwent a slow northeastward translation. One drifter (Drifter 1315) deployed near the center of the “Bussol' eddy” in 1990, remained in the eddy for roughly 45 days and made five loops at successively greater distances from the eddy center. Large-amplitude (80–100 cm/s) storm-generated inertial oscillations were observed during the first two loops. The vorticity field associated with the eddy resulted in a Doppler “red-shift” of inertial frequency motions such that the “effective” inertial period of 21 hours was roughly 4 hours greater than the nominal inertial period for the drifter latitude (45°N). In 1993, a second drifter (Drifter 15371) was retained in the Bussol' eddy for about 40 days. This eddy had characteristics similar to those of the 1990 eddy but was devoid of significant high-frequency motions until the drifter's final half loop. The observed spatial scales, persistence, and slow poleward translation of the eddies suggests that they play an important role in the dynamics of the East Kamchatka and Oyashio current systems. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Application of the integrated NMR-TDEM method in groundwater exploration in Israel

The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) method is the only physical tool currently available which is able to detect directly the presence of fresh water in the subsurface. The Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) method, in turn, has been proven highly efficient in detecting saline groundwater. The combined application of these two methods is the most promising way to delineate accurately groundwater-bearing aquifers and to evaluate the quality of the water. This idea was tested during the feasibility study carried out under different hydrogeological conditions throughout Israel during August–September 1992. The Russian Hydroscope and Geonics PROTEM-IV instruments were used for the NMR and TDEM measurements, respectively.A total of 36 NMR and 12 TDEM stations was established, mostly in close proximity to existing observation wells. Among these only 19 NMR measurements showed reasonable signal-to-noise characteristics, while the rest were obviously distorted by ambient noise. The number of distorted measurements could have been even greater had they been carried out at all points planned. However, a significant number of the NMR stations were cancelled due to their proximity (less than 1–1.5 km) to electric power lines. As a result almost the entire Mediterranean coast of Israel, which was originally chosen as the main test site for this survey, turned out to be unsuitable owing to the low ambient noise protection of the Hydroscope. Another serious limitation of NMR measurements is the maximum penetration depth. The deepest information obtained during the feasibility study was from a depth of 74 m.Nevertheless, within the framework of its applicability, the NMR measurements proved to be sufficiently accurate and to have a high resolving capability. A comparison with the borehole data shows that, in most cases, NMR is able not only to detect the presence of water, but also to delineate different subaquifers. At the same time, however, the transmissivity and aquifer texture are much less reliably detected. The combined application of the NMR and TDEM methods may essentially improve the reliability of the interpretation. In all cases where the NMR anomaly fits the drop in TDEM resistivity, water of a different salinity is found at approximately the same depth. A reasonable correlation between the interpreted resistivities and water salinities is obtained for these horizons. However, if only one method indicates the presence of water, this, in many cases, was not confirmed by the borehole data. The TDEM anomalies were obviously caused by low-resistivity lithologies, while some of the false NMR signals could be explained by a low signal-to-noise ratio.As regards the freshwater/seawater interface, this was, in all cases, accurately detected by the TDEM measurements alone. It is interesting to note that at the same depth, NMR measurements indicated a drastically increasing anomaly followed by the absence of water at greater depths. The latter can most likely be explained by the very low resistivity of the sea water, which is not taken into account by the existing NMR interpretation.     

Energy Decay of the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami in the World Ocean

The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami generated off the coast of Sumatra on 26 December 2004 was recorded by a large number of tide gauges throughout the World Ocean. This study uses gauge records from 173 sites to examine the characteristics and energy decay of the tsunami waves from this event in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Findings reveal that the decay (e-folding) time of the tsunami wave energy within a given oceanic basin is not uniform, as previously reported, but depends on the absorption characteristics of the shelf adjacent to the coastal observation site and the time for the waves to reach the site from the source region. In general, the decay times for island and open-ocean bottom stations are found to be shorter than for coastal mainland stations. Decay times for the 2004 Sumatra tsunami ranged from about 13 h for islands in the Indian Ocean to 40–45 h for mainland stations in the North Pacific.     

Introduction to “Historical and Recent Catastrophic Tsunamis in the World: Volume I. The 2011 Tohoku Tsunami”

Twenty-one papers on the 2011 Tohoku, Japan tsunami are included in Volume I of the PAGEOPH topical issue “Historical and Recent Catastrophic Tsunamis in the World.” Two papers discuss seismological aspects of the event with an emphasis on tsunami generation and warning. Five papers report the impacts and effects in Japan through field surveys of tsunami heights, building damage, and tsunami deposits or analysis of satellite data. Eight papers report the tsunami effects on other Pacific coasts, including the Kuril Islands, the USA, French Polynesia, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. Three papers report on analyses of the instrumental records of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, and two more papers report their modelling efforts of the tsunami. Several of the above papers also compare the 2011 Tohoku and 2010 Chile tsunamis.