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Investigation of long waves in the tsunami frequency band on the southwestern shelf of Kamchatka

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Abstract

Two inexpensive cable bottom pressure stations were installed on the southwestern shelf of Kamchatka (Okhotsk Sea) in 1987 and two more in 1988 to provide longwave measurements in the tsunami frequency band, to investigate the generating mechanism of these waves, and to test the instrumentation. Microfluctuations of atmospheric pressure were recorded simultaneously. Two cable lines were torn off by ship anchors in March 1989 but others are still working in spite of highly dynamic activity on beaches and in hard ice regimes. Careful data analysis of two months of observations (September–October, 1987) showed that: (1) the atmospheric spectra were very stable and monotonic in the period range 2–50 min and corresponded to a power law of ω−2.3, (2) the direct generation of long waves by atmospheric pressure fluctuations was negligible, (3) there was high correlation between background longwave oscillations and sea state, (4) the structure of the offshore longwave field was in good agreement with theoretical estimates of standing waves for a linear slope.

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Kovalev, P.D., Rabinovich, A.B. & Shevchenko, G.V. Investigation of long waves in the tsunami frequency band on the southwestern shelf of Kamchatka. Nat Hazards 4, 141–159 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00162784

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00162784

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