Heron, Malcolm L., Dvonkovskaya, Anna, and Helzel, Thomas (2015) Observing the approaching tsunami. In: Proceedings of the Australasian Coasts and Ports Conference. pp. 404-407. From: Coasts & Ports 2015: 22nd Australasian Coastal and Ocean Engineering Coference and the 15th Australasian Port and Harbour Conference, 15-18 September 2015, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Abstract

Several technologies are available for monitoring and observing tsunamis as they approach a section of a coast line. For tsunamigenic earthquakes far away, the first alert comes from the global seismic monitoring network. This is a well-established network that gives a rapid initial alert of location and strength of an earthquake. The link between earthquake magnitude and tsunami wave height is variable from event-to event and is not well understood. A tsunami alert can be confirmed in real-time by deep ocean pressure sensors on DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis system) buoys, which are deployed in a global but sparse network in deep water. The epicentre location can be coupled with a DART buoy measurement as the tsunami passes, to calibrate the MOST model (Method Of Splitting Tsunamis). Thereafter, the MOST model can be used to give predictions of time and magnitude for the tsunami to reach shallow water at the edge of a continental shelf. The MOST model [1] uses the non-linear shallow water wave equations in spherical coordinates, with Coriolis terms [2] and does not include bottom friction. The model does not (yet) run in real time, so a common strategy is to create a library of precomputed scenarios for a sequence of epicentre locations along a fault line. Then for a particular event, the nearest scenario is applied. The dynamics of the tsunami as it encounters the edge of the continental shelf and propagates in shallow water may be observed with a high-frequency (HF) ocean radar.

Item ID:	43728
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
ISBN:	978-1-922107-79-4
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date Deposited:	01 Nov 2017 03:56
FoR Codes:	04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0405 Oceanography > 040503 Physical Oceanography @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9610 Natural Hazards > 961006 Natural Hazards in Marine Environments @ 100%
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