Formulation of a Surf-Similarity Parameter to Predict Tsunami Characteristics at the Coast

Formulation of a Surf-Similarity Parameter to Predict Tsunami Characteristics at the Coast

Roubos, Jochem (Van den Herik)
Glasbergen, Toni (Jelmer Talent Lab)
Hofland, Bas (TU Delft Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk)
Bricker, J.D. (University of Michigan)
Zijlema, Marcel (TU Delft Environmental Fluid Mechanics)
Esteban, Miguel (Waseda University)
Tissier, M.F.S. (TU Delft Environmental Fluid Mechanics)

2021

To calculate tsunami forces on coastal structures it is of great importance to determine the shape of the tsunami front reaching the coast. Based on literature reviews, analytical reasoning,video footage, and numerical modelling it is concluded that both the continental shelf slope and the bay geometry have a significant influence on the transformation of a tsunami wave near the coastline. After conducting 1D and 2DH wave simulations, a distinction is made between three types of tsunami waves; a non-breaking front (surging), a breaking front and an undular bore breaking front. Tsunami waves transform into these three wave types over a steep continental shelf, an intermediate sloped continental shelf, and a gentle sloped continental shelf, respectively. A new tsunami surf-similarityparameter is proposed to quantitatively predict the type of wave at the coastline, which was validated based on observations during the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.

Tsunami
Bay Geometry
Continental Shelf
Surging
Wave Front Breaking
Undular Bore
Surf-similarity Parameter

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ed4ca938-a5a2-4c0a-a63e-6fd4d888c6c9

https://doi.org/10.48438/jchs.2021.0009

Journal of Coastal and Hydraulic Structures, 1, 1-20

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 Jochem Roubos, Toni Glasbergen, Bas Hofland, J.D. Bricker, Marcel Zijlema, Miguel Esteban, M.F.S. Tissier