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harbor was modeled with 3arc–sec bathymetry, and good phase and initial waveheight agreement was achieved, yet Figure 2.25a and b show that the model underestimated the size of the wave in the later stages, in this resolution. Note the good agreement for the 1994 event despite the inappropriate geometry used for the source, which expresses the robustness of farfield tsunami generation with respect to fault parameters as discussed; see for example, Okal (1988); Okal and Synolakis (2008). Higher resolution of 1arc–sec was then used to help improve the accuracy of the computation for longer time evolution. As expected, the results show better agreement in Figure 2.25a after 10 hours and in Figure 2.25b after 11 hours. This suggests that the use of a higher resolution bathymetry is necessary to model special harbor effects and resonance. Figure 2.26a shows a comparison of spectra between the tide gauge record of the 2006 Kuril Islands event and its numerical simulation. The tide record appears to have three dominant periods, and these also appear in the numerical simulation, but with different spectral amplitudes. Similarly, Figure 2.26b shows spectra of simulations for the 2006, pseudo 1994 and worst–case Japan events, and the dominant periods are seen in agreement for all three scenarios, but with deviations in spectral magnitudes. Using the waveheight distribution in Figure 2.24 and the wave response from Figure 2.23, one can conclude that tsunami from off northern Honshu, Japan will have a much higher impact in northern California than from the other portions of the KSZ. Figure 2.25c compares the simulation for Japan with 2006 and pseudo–1994; the wave–height from the Japanese scenario is higher than for 2006, as expected. All three events have similar time histories and wave periods, but different arrival times, the 2006 being the earliest arriving in Crescent City. 92
Object Description
Title | Deterministic and probabilistic tsunami studies in California from near and farfield sources |
Author | Uslu, Burak |
Author email | uslu@usc.edu; burak.uslu@noaa.gov |
Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
Document type | Dissertation |
Degree program | Civil Engineering |
School | Viterbi School of Engineering |
Date defended/completed | 2007-09-21 |
Date submitted | 2008 |
Restricted until | Unrestricted |
Date published | 2008-10-30 |
Advisor (committee chair) | Synolakis, Costas E. |
Advisor (committee member) |
Bardet, Jean-Pierre Okal, Emile A. Moore, James Elliott, II |
Abstract | California is vulnerable to tsunamis from both local and distant sources. While there is an overall awareness of the threat, tsunamis are infrequent events and few communities have a good understanding of vulnerability. To quantitatively evaluate the tsunami hazard in the State, deterministic and probabilistic methods are used to compute inundation and runup heights in selected population centers along the coast.; For the numerical modeling of tsunamis, a two dimensional finite difference propagation and runup model is used. All known near and farfield sources of relevance to California are considered. For the farfield hazard analysis, the Pacific Rim is subdivided into small segments where unit ruptures are assumed, then the transpacific propagations are calculated. The historical records from the 1952 Kamchatka, 1960 Great Chile, 1964 Great Alaska, and 1994 and 2006 Kuril Islands earthquakes are compared to modeled results. A sensitivity analysis is performed on each subduction zone segment to determine the relative effect of the source location on wave heights off the California Coast.; Here, both time-dependent and time-independent methods are used to assess the tsunami risk. In the latter, slip rates are obtained from GPS measurements of the tectonic motions and then used as a basis to estimate the return period of possible earthquakes. The return periods of tsunamis resulting from these events are combined with computed waveheight estimates to provide a total probability of exceedance of given waveheights for ports and harbors in California. The time independent method follows the practice of past studies that have used Gutenberg and Richter type relationships to assign probabilities to specific tsunami sources.; The Cascadia Subduction Zone is the biggest nearfield earthquake source and is capable of producing mega-thrust earthquake ruptures between the Gorda and North American plates and may cause extensive damage north of Cape Mendocino, to Seattle. The present analysis suggests that San Francisco Bay and Central California are most sensitive to tsunamis originating from the Alaska and Aleutians Subduction Zone (AASZ). An earthquake with a magnitude comparable to the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake on central AASZ could result in twice the wave height as experienced in San Francisco Bay in 1964.; The probabilistic approach shows that Central California and San Francisco Bay have more frequent tsunamis from the AASZ, while Southern California can be impacted from tsunamis generated on Chile and Central American Subduction Zone as well as the AASZ. |
Keyword | assessment; California; hazard; model; probability; tsunami |
Geographic subject | capes: Kamchatka; islands: Kuril Islands; fault zones: Cascadia Subduction Zone |
Geographic subject (state) | California; Alaska |
Geographic subject (country) | Chile |
Coverage date | 1952/2008 |
Language | English |
Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
Type | texts |
Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1706 |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Rights | Uslu, Burak |
Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
Filename | etd-uslu-2434 |
Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume40/etd-uslu-2434.pdf |
Description
Title | Page 107 |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
Full text | harbor was modeled with 3arc–sec bathymetry, and good phase and initial waveheight agreement was achieved, yet Figure 2.25a and b show that the model underestimated the size of the wave in the later stages, in this resolution. Note the good agreement for the 1994 event despite the inappropriate geometry used for the source, which expresses the robustness of farfield tsunami generation with respect to fault parameters as discussed; see for example, Okal (1988); Okal and Synolakis (2008). Higher resolution of 1arc–sec was then used to help improve the accuracy of the computation for longer time evolution. As expected, the results show better agreement in Figure 2.25a after 10 hours and in Figure 2.25b after 11 hours. This suggests that the use of a higher resolution bathymetry is necessary to model special harbor effects and resonance. Figure 2.26a shows a comparison of spectra between the tide gauge record of the 2006 Kuril Islands event and its numerical simulation. The tide record appears to have three dominant periods, and these also appear in the numerical simulation, but with different spectral amplitudes. Similarly, Figure 2.26b shows spectra of simulations for the 2006, pseudo 1994 and worst–case Japan events, and the dominant periods are seen in agreement for all three scenarios, but with deviations in spectral magnitudes. Using the waveheight distribution in Figure 2.24 and the wave response from Figure 2.23, one can conclude that tsunami from off northern Honshu, Japan will have a much higher impact in northern California than from the other portions of the KSZ. Figure 2.25c compares the simulation for Japan with 2006 and pseudo–1994; the wave–height from the Japanese scenario is higher than for 2006, as expected. All three events have similar time histories and wave periods, but different arrival times, the 2006 being the earliest arriving in Crescent City. 92 |