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Tsunamis Effects in Man-Made Environment

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Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science

Definition

Tsunamis are water waves created by an impulsive disturbance in the ocean. A majority of tsunamis are generated by a coseismic ocean floor displacement (i.e., earthquake-induced seafloor rupture). Less common generation mechanisms are subaerial or submarine landslides, volcanic activity, or, even more rarely, meteorite impact. To generate a tsunami, the earthquake must have a large magnitude (likewise, landsliding and volcanic activity must be significant to generate a tsunami). Because tsunami generation occurs when large spans of the seafloor displace (i.e., seafloor displacement of hundreds of kilometers), tsunamis’ wavelengths are longer than the ocean depth. Tsunami wave heights are small (typically less than 1 meter high) in deep water, but the waves increase in height as they advance onto the continental shelf and approach the shore. The increase in wave height as waves approach shallow water is referred to as the shoaling effect. Tsunamis are capable of penetrating...

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Abbreviations

Bore:

A broken wave with an infinite wavelength that propagates into shallower quiescent water.

Buoyant force:

A net hydrostatic force on an object in the vertical direction.

Coastal armoring:

A human-made structure built to protect shorelines, e.g., seawalls, coastal dikes, and breakwaters.

Debris impact force:

Forces on an object caused by the impact of waterborne missiles.

Distant tsunami:

A tsunami created on a far away source; distant tsunami travel times can be on the order of hours.

Drag force:

Forces acting on a submerged object in the direction of a steady fluid flow.

Form drag:

A component of the drag force due to pressure difference between the front and back surfaces of the object.

Hydrodynamic force:

A force acting on a partially submerged structure by a steady free-surface flow around it.

Hydrostatic force:

Fluid forces under the uniform-flow condition with no vertical acceleration.

Local tsunami:

A tsunami created on a nearby source.

Momentum flux:

The steady portion of the net inertial forces.

Shallow-water-wave theory:

Water-wave theory with the assumptions of infinitesimal water depth relative to the wavelength for the irrotational fluid motion; alternatively, with the assumptions of hydrostatic pressure field and the inviscid-fluid flow with uniform horizontal velocity profile over the depth.

Shoaling effect:

Describes the increase in wave height as waves propagate into shallower water; it is a consequence of the conservation of wave energy flux.

Subduction zone:

A tectonic plate margin characterized by one plate going underneath (or subducting) of another tectonic plate; a plate dislocation in the subduction zone creates large tsunamis.

Surge force (impulsive force):

Initial water impact forces on an object caused by the leading edge of the wave’s upsurge motion on land.

Tsunami:

A water wave created by an impulsive disturbance in the ocean; the Japanese word “tsunami” translates directly to English as “harbor wave.”

Vertical evacuation structure:

A human-made structure that provides a high-elevation safe haven from floods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil & Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331-3212, USA

    Harry Yeh, Andre Barbosa & Benjamin H. Mason

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  1. Harry Yeh
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  2. Andre Barbosa
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Correspondence to Harry Yeh .

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  1. Ramtech Ltd., Larkspur, California, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

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Yeh, H., Barbosa, A., Mason, B.H. (2015). Tsunamis Effects in Man-Made Environment. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_623-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_623-1

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