Effect of Source Orientation and Location in the Aleutian Trench on Tsunami Amplitude along the Pacific Coast of the Continental United States.

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to ascertain the effect of the orientation and location of elliptically shaped tsunamigenic ground displacements of earthquakes along the Aleutian Trench on resulting tsunami amplitude along the Pacific coast of the continental United States. The Aleutian Trench was partitioned into 12 segments and a hypothetical ground displacement was centered in each segment. A numerical model was used to propagate the tsunami generated by an uplift to the Pacific coast of the continental United States. An analytical solution of the governing equations of motion was used to propagate the tsunami from the grid points of the numerical grid closest to land to a common water depth of 600 ft so that there would be a standard depth to facilitate comparisons. Contour plots of water-surface wave elevation three hr after generation of the tsunamis readily depict the directional patterns of the waves radiated by the ground displacements.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA014145

Entities

People

  • Andrew W. Garcia
  • H. Lee Butler
  • James R. Houston
  • Robert W. Whalin

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Directional
  • Displacement
  • Earthquakes
  • Elevation
  • Equations
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Geological Phenomena
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Surface Waves
  • Tsunamis
  • United States
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Geology

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Oceanography.
  • Seismology