Tsunami

Tsunami
Very fast wave with a
HUGE wavelength,
triggered by a disturbance
Velocity

Landslides
Volcanic eruptions
Meteor impacts
Earthquakes

2004 Sumatra

2004 Sumatra

Lituya Bay, Alaska

1,720 feet

Shallow- vs. Deep-water waves

Shallow- vs. Deep-water waves

/2

Deep

Shallow- vs. Deep-water waves

Shallow

Shallow-water waves

v gD

Example
D = 3,800 m (average depth)

v 10 m s 3,800 m
2

v 38,000 m s
2

v 195 m s 700 km h

Wind Waves vs. Tsunamis

Wind Generated Waves

5-20 seconds period
300-600 ft wave length
10 kph speed

Tsunami Waves
10 min-2 hr period
Wave length HUGE
(can be > 100 km)
700 kph speed

E proportional to H
2

Height

. . . 500 greater!

Attenuation!!
High freq
uency:
treble

Low frequency:
bass

 Energy proportional to
A2 v
Velocity
Amplitude

Little energy lost, so

A2 v constant
v decreases, A increases

The Great Sumatra Tsunami of 2004

MW

= 9.3
275,000 dead
Waves up to 100 ft

Video of Sumatra Tsunami

from Thai TV station

2004 Indonesia Tsunami

1964 Tsunami, Alaska

Banda Aceh:June 23 2004

rd

DigitalGlobe

Banda Aceh: December 28th 2004

DigitalGlobe

Gleebrook Village:June 23rd 2004

DigitalGlobe

Gleebrook Village: December 28th 2004

DigitalGlobe

Tsunami damage from:

Force of water (in & out)
Force of debris
Flooding (water damage)
Flooding (crop damage)

What is it like to experience a

tsunami?
May be preceded
by drop in water
level
Several waves,
separated by
5 300 minutes
First is rarely
largest

Hilo, Hawaii Marigram

The Great ChileTsunami of 1960

MW = 9.5
Crossed
ocean
Waves up to
20 ft

The Great ChileTsunami of 1960

Onagawa
Japan

>1
0,0
00
m

ile
s

Onagawa, Japan, 1960

4:40 a.m.

Onagawa, Japan, 1960

4:45 a.m.

Onagawa, Japan, 1960

4:50 a.m.

Onagawa, Japan, 1960

7:30 a.m.

Tsunami coming ashore

Tsunami produced by landslides,

eruptions, impacts
Disturbance at surface
size of disturbance
several km much SMALLER than
earthquake tsunami
Attenuates faster
Causes local damage only

Krakatoa, 1883

RI of Great Tsunami (ocean-wide effects)

Ocean

RI (years)

Pacific

12

Caribbean
Indian
Atlantic

15?
30?
10,000?

RI of Great Tsunami (ocean-wide effects)

Ocean

RI (years)

Pacific

12

Caribbean
Indian
Atlantic

15?
30?
10,000?

RI of Great Tsunami (ocean-wide effects)

Ocean

RI (years)

Pacific

12

Caribbean
Indian
Atlantic

15?
30?
1,000?

1842-2006:

3532+ deaths

1842-2006: 579 deaths

1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami

Michael

1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami

Michael

US risk of tsunami
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific NW
Atlantic coast
Gulf of Mexico

US risk of tsunami
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific NW
Atlantic coast
Gulf of Mexico

MW = 9.2

1964 Tsunami, Alaska

1964 Tsunami, Alaska

US risk of tsunami
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific NW
Atlantic coast
Gulf of Mexico

US risk of tsunami
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific NW
Atlantic coast
Gulf of Mexico

Atlantic Tsunami Risk

Close Earthquake
Landslide
Submarine Volcano
Tele-tsunami

(Slide from Maul, 2005)

1755 Lisbon
Earthquake

Cumbre Vieja Volcano

The resulting tsunami?

US risk of tsunami
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific NW
Atlantic coast
Gulf of Mexico-negligible

Tsunami Hazard Mitigation

Island of
Hawaii

Evacuate
shaded
areas

Example: Hilo, Hawaii

Warning
siren

Global Seismologic Network

DART system buoy,

Pacific Ocean

DART, DART II Systems

(Deep Ocean Assessment
and Reporting of Tsunami)

DART Buoys
12 deployed, others
planned
Accurate to < 1mm!
Collects every 15 s
Cost $250K +
$50K annual
maintenance

Planned
DART
buoys -

Proposed DART Locations

Measuring
from Space?
Great 2004 Sumatra
tsunami wave
2 hours after quake

Tsunami wave
height measured
by satelites

Philippines, Drill