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Field Survey and Numerical Modelling of the December 22, 2018 Anak Krakatau Tsunami

Pure and Applied Geophysics volume 177, pages 2457–2475 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

On December 22, 2018, the eruption and flank collapse of the Anak Krakatau volcano generated a tsunami in the Sunda Strait causing catastrophic damage to uninhabited coastlines proximal to the source. Along the heavily populated shores of Banten and Lampung provinces in Java and Sumatra, tsunami waves caused severe damage, extensive inundation and more than 430 deaths. An international tsunami survey team (ITST) deployed 6 weeks after the event documented the tsunami effects including runup heights, flow depths and inundation distances, as well as sediment deposition patterns and impacts on infrastructure and the natural environment. The team also interviewed numerous eyewitnesses and educated residents about tsunami hazards. This ITST was the first to visit and document the extreme tsunami effects on the small islands in the Sunda Strait closest to Anak Krakatau (Rakata, Panjang, Sertung, Sebesi and Panaitan). Along the steep slopes of Rakata and Sertung islands, located less than 5 km from and facing directly towards the southwest flank of Anak Krakatau, all of the dense coastal vegetation was stripped to bare earth up to elevations of more than 80 m, while on the northeast tip of Sertung Island, facing away from the source, a single tree remained standing after flow depths of  > 11 m above ground struck there. The runup distributions on the islands encircling Anak Krakatau highlight the directivity of the tsunami source suggesting that the collapse occurred towards the southwest. This manifested as tsunami runup of < 10 m on Sebesi Island, located 15 km northeast of the source, contrasting with tsunami flow heights > 10 m that stripped away coastal forests to bare rock for up to 400 m inland in the Ujung Kulon National Park, located 50 km to the south-southwest. Inundation and damage were mostly limited to within 400 m of the shoreline, likely the result of the relatively short wavelengths caused by the landslide generated tsunami. A significant variation in tsunami impact was observed along the shorelines of the Sunda Strait, with runup heights rapidly decreasing with distance from the inferred tsunami source. To model the event we applied a hot-start initial condition that roughly reproduced the measured tsunami runup heights along Rakata and Sertung. The waveforms were then propagated through the Sunda Straight using a Boussinesq-type wave model. The results showed a good fit to the observed heights along the Java and Sumatra coastlines, the northern coast of Panaitan Island and Ujung Kulon Nation Park. The model also produced an acceptable fit to the observed amplitudes at tide gauges. Despite the regional volcanic and tsunamigenic history of the region, and 6-months of eruptive activity prior to the event, the tsunami largely caught the local population off guard. This further highlights the need for community-based education and awareness programs as essential to save lives in locales at risk from locally generated tsunamis.

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Notes

  1. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-3957469/analisis-potensi-tsunami-57-m-bikin-resah-bppt-dipanggil-polda.

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Acknowledgements

The team would like to acknowledge United States National Science Foundation Award CMMI-1906162 for supporting this work. We also acknowledge the Indonesian Government for granting permission to conduct these important field surveys. This includes the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (MORTHE), Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Office of Ujung Kulon National Parks. We acknowledge the Indonesian Tsunami Scientific Community (IATsI) and IOTIC/IOC-UNESCO Jakarta for the advice, support, and guide for conducting the field surveys. We are grateful to our guide from BALAWISTA Pantai Carita (Lifeguards Carita Beach), especially Pak Samsul and the boat captains and crew for helping the team access the offshore locations and getting us back home safely. JCB dedicates this paper to CTB. May your fascination with volcanoes and science stay with you always!

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. eCoast Marine Consulting and Research, Raglan, New Zealand

    Jose C. Borrero

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Jose C. Borrero, Patrick J. Lynett, Vassilios Skanavis, Sangyoung Son & Costas E. Synolakis

  3. Marine Research Centre, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Jakarta, 14430, Indonesia

    Tubagus Solihuddin, Semeidi Husrin, August Daulat, Dini Purbani & Hadiwijaya L. Salim

  4. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Hermann M. Fritz

  5. Indonesian Tsunami Scientific Community, Jakarta, 12950, Indonesia

    Gegar S. Prasetya & Maria Usman

  6. Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, J1. Diponegoro no. 57, Bandung, Indonesia

    Kushendratno

  7. Port Infrastructure & Coastal Dynamic Technology Center (BTIPDP), Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Jl.Grafika 2 Sekip, Yogyakarta, 55284, Indonesia

    Widjo Kongko & Dinar C. Istiyanto

  8. Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Jakarta, 10340, Indonesia

    Rahman Hidayat & Velly Asvaliantina

  9. IOC-UNESCO, Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC), Jakarta, 12110, Indonesia

    Ardito Kodijat

  10. School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea

    Sangyoung Son

  11. Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100, Chania, Greece

    Costas E. Synolakis

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  1. Jose C. Borrero
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  2. Tubagus Solihuddin
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Correspondence to Jose C. Borrero.

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Borrero, J.C., Solihuddin, T., Fritz, H.M. et al. Field Survey and Numerical Modelling of the December 22, 2018 Anak Krakatau Tsunami. Pure Appl. Geophys. 177, 2457–2475 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-020-02515-y

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Keywords

  • tsunami
  • Anak Krakatau
  • volcano
  • landslide
  • field survey