Abstract
Propagation characteristics of impact-generated tsunamis are different from most tsunami originating from other sources in that both nonlinearity and dispersion remain important for a long time after generation. This is particularly true for bolides with diameters that are comparable to, or larger than, the ocean depth. Submarine earthquakes and mass gravity flows on the other hand generally produce waves with amplitudes of only a few meters. Such tsunamis are linear during generation as well as propagation, while nonlinear effects become significant only close to the shore. Tsunamis of yet other origins, such as airborne slides, huge rock falls, or exploding/collapsing volcanoes, may locally display features reminiscent to impact tsunamis, but the far-field propagation is again linear. Oceanic impacts of asteroids and comets, however, may produce huge waves in mid ocean that stay strongly nonlinear during propagation over hundreds and thousands of km.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Artemieva NA, Shuvalov VV (2002) Shock metamorphism on the ocean floor (numerical simulations). Deep Sea Res Part II Top Stud Oceanogr 49(6):959–968
Bilham R (2005) A flying start, then a slow slip. Science 308:1126–1127
Bremer GMA, Smelror M, Nagy J, Vigran JO (2004) Biotic responses to the Mjølnir meteorite impact, Barents Sea: evidence from a core drilled within the crater. In: Dypvik H, Burchell M, Claeys P (eds) Cratering in marine environments and on ice, Springer Series in Impact studies. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, pp 21–38
Claeys P, Kiessling W, Alvarez W (2002) Distribution of Chicxulub ejecta at the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. In: Koeberl C, MacLeod KG (eds) Catastrophic events and mass extinctions: impacts and beyond. Geological Society of America Special Paper 356, Boulder, pp 55–68
Clarisse JM, Newman JN, Ursell F (1995) Integrals with a large parameter: water waves on finite depth due to an impulse. Proc R Soc Ser A450:67–87
Dypvik H, Sandbakken PT, Postma G, Mørk A (2004c) Early postimpact sedimentation around the central high of the Mjølnir impact crater (Barents Sea, Late Jurassic). Sediment Geol 168:227–247
Dypvik H, Wolbach WS, Shuvalov V, Weaver SLW (2008b) Did the Mjølnir asteroid impact ignite Barents Sea hydrocarbon source rocks? In: Evans KR, Horton JW Jr, King DT Jr, Morrow JR (eds) The Sedimentary record of meteorite impacts. Geological Society of America Special Paper 437, Boulder, pp 65–72
Gault DE, Sonett CP (1982) Laboratory simulation of pelagic asteroidal impact: Atmospheric injection, benthic topography and the surface wave radiation field. In: French BM, Schultz PH (eds) Geological implications of impacts of large asteroids and comtes on the Earth. Geol Soc Am Spec Paper 190:69–92
Gisler GR, Weaver RP, Mader CL, Gittings ML (2004) Two- and three-dimensional asteroid impact simulations. Comput Sci Eng 6:46–55
Glimsdal S, Pedersen GK, Atakan K, Harbitz CB, Langtangen HP, Løvholt, F (2006) Propagation of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: effects of dispersion and source characteristics. Int J Fluid Mech Res 33(1):15–43
Glimsdal S, Pedersen GK, Langtangen HP, Shuvalov V, Dypvik H (2007) Tsunami generation and propagation from the Mjølnir asteroid impact. Meteorit Planet Sci 42:1473–1493
Grue J, Pelinovsky EN, Fructus D, Talipova T, Kharif C (2008) Formation of undular bores and solitary waves in the Strait of Malacca caused by the 26. December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. J Geophys Res 113:C05008, doi:10.1029/2007JC004343
Kataoka T, Tsutahara M (2004) Transverse instability of surface solitary waves. J Fluid Mech 512:211–221
Kennedy AB, Chen Q, Kirby JT, Dalrymple RA (2000) Boussinesq modeling of wave transformation, breaking and run-up. Part I 1D J Waterway Port Coast Ocean Eng 126(1):39–47
Korycansky DG, Lynett PJ (2005) Offshore breaking of impact tsunami: the Van Dorn effect revisited. Geophys Res Lett 32:L10608
Matsui T, Imamura F, Tajika E, Nakano Y, Fujisawa Y (2002) Generation and propagation of a tsunami from the Cretaceous-Tertiary impact event. In: Koerbel C, MacLeod KG (eds) Catastrophic events and mass extinctions: Impacts and Beyond. Geological Society of America Special Paper 356, Boulder, pp 69–77
Mei CC (1989) Applied dynamics of ocean waves. Advanced series on ocean engineering, vol 1, 2nd edn. World Scientific, London, p 768
Miles JW (1977) Diffraction of solitary waves. Zeitschrift für angewandte Mathematik und Physik 28:889–902
Miles JW (1980) Solitary waves. Ann Rev Fluid Mech 12:11–43
Pedersen G (1994) Nonlinear modulations of solitary waves. J Fluid Mech 267:83–108
Peregrine DH (1966) Calculations of the development of an undular bore. J Fluid Mech 25:321–330
Peregrine DH (1976) Interaction of water waves and currents. Adv Appl Mech 16:10–117
Shuto N (1985) The Nihonkai-Chubu earthquake tsunami on the north Akita Coast. Coast Eng Jpn 28:255–264
Shuvalov VV (2003a) Mechanisms of Tsunami generation by impacts [abs] Large Meteorite Impacts 3, Nördlingen, August 2003
Shuvalov V, Dypvik H, Tsikalas F (2002) Numerical simulations of the Mjølnir marine impact crater. J Geophys Res 107:doi 10.1029/2001JE001698
Smelror M, Dypvik H (2005) Dinoflagellate cyst and prasinophyte biostratigraphy of the Volgian-Ryazanian boundary strata, western Barents Shelf. Nor Geologiske Undersøkelse Bull 443:61–69
Smelror M, Dypvik H, Mørk A (2002) Phytoplankton blooms in the Jurassic Cretaceous boundary beds of the Barents Sea possibly induced by the Mjølnir impact. In Buffetaut E, Koeberl C (eds) Geological and biological effects of impact events. Lecture notes in Earth Sciences, Impact Studies. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, pp 69–81
Tanaka M (1986) The stability of solitary waves. Phys Fluids 29(3):650–655
Ward SN, Asphaug E (2000) Asteroid impact tsunami: A probabilistic hazard assessment. Icarus 145:64–78
Ward SN, Asphaug E (2002) Impact tsunami-Eltanin. Deep Sea Res II 49:1073–1080
Wolbach WS, Widicus S, Dypvik H (2001) A preliminary search for evidence of impact-related burning near the Mjølnir impact structure, Barents Sea [abs] Lunar Planet Sci Conf 32, abs #1332, CD-ROM
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Glimsdal, S., Pedersen, G.K., Langtangen, H.P., Shuvalov, V., Dypvik, H. (2010). The Mjølnir Tsunami. In: Tsikalas, F., Dypvik, H., Smelror, M. (eds) The Mjølnir Impact Event and its Consequences. Impact Studies. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88260-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88260-2_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-88259-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-88260-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)