Tsunami Propagation Models Based on First Principles
Abstract
Tsunamis are ocean waves generated by the displacement of a large volume of water due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides or other causes above or below the ocean floor (e.g., Karling, 2005; Parker, 2012). The great Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 will be remembered for its ferocity, devastation and unprecedented loss of life for a long time (Stewart, 2005; The Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2011). It is also the same tsunami which has galvanized the international community to set up warning systems and undertake preventive measures against the onslaught of future tsunamis in the vulnerable regions around the globe. A surge of scientific studies on all aspects of the tsunami is in evidence in the literature. And a volume entitled The Tsunami Threat Research and Technology (M rner ed., 2011) has been brought out. The current volume entitled Tsunami (Lopez, ed., 2012) is a sequel to the above in a continued effort to promote understanding and predicting future tsunamis and warning the populace in the potentially vulnerable areas. There are three distinct stages of a tsunami event: (1) Generation; (2) Propagation; and (3) Inundation/landfall (cf. Cecioni & Belloti, 2011). The generation stage is the most complex and most difficult to analyze, since each tsunami is different and no single mechanism can account for all tsunamis. The inundation stage is also different for different areas affected, and again, no single scenario can describe all affected areas. The propagation stage covers the most extensive area, and is the only one that can be attacked by simple theory and analysis, even though detailed numerical models are found in the literature (see, for example, Imteaz, et al., 2011, and the references therein). These models consist of solving hydrodynamic equations with suitable boundary conditions that necessarily involve tedious numerical integrations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 21, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA567535
Entities
People
- A. K. Chilvery
- Amanda L. Tan
- M. Dokhanian
- S. H. Crutcher
Organizations
- United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command