SGER- Understanding the coastal impacts of Kuril Island 2006 tsunami

摘要：2004年12月26日的印度洋大海啸夺去了国际社会23万多人的生命。已经在太平洋规划和部署了更多的飞镖，以提供更多的数据和警报能力。然而，2006年11月15日，美国科学家和紧急救援人员对千岛群岛俯冲带(莱德福德，2006)发生的大地震(MW=8.3)引发的海啸感到惊讶。地震引发的海啸预计将在一小时后到达日本北部，大约8小时后到达美国西海岸。由于这次海啸抵达日本的浪高一般不到1米，预计阿拉斯加或美国西海岸不会发生大海啸。不幸的是，验潮仪数据显示，俄勒冈州海岸和加利福尼亚州北部的最高最大波浪高度大于1米。加利福尼亚州新月市的总损失预计在50万至100万美元之间。这项研究旨在了解千岛群岛海啸的行为。基于在拟议的研究活动中收集的信息和数据，我们打算找到以下科学问题的答案：1.美国西海岸大海啸波高的原因是什么？为什么那里的浪高还比较大？是不是阿留申群岛(海沟)强烈的海浪反射？它是由于北美海岸的反射，还是由于沿海岸传播的捕获波(即边缘波或干波)？或者这是一种局部现象(即受局部水深测量的支配)？2.为什么许多地方的最大波高似乎出现在先导波到达后1.5-2小时？事件的延迟是由港口共振引起的吗？受验潮仪位置的影响大吗？再问一次，它是由当地的水深测量控制的吗？这个项目通过让研究生和本科生参与跨学科研究来促进教学。这项研究将揭示阿留申群岛(海沟)和北美大陆架与遥远的海啸的相互作用及其对俄勒冈州和加利福尼亚州海岸海啸高度的影响。这一结果将影响美国西海岸海啸警报的发布和取消协议。这项研究还将提供当地水深测量对验潮仪响应的影响的现场具体信息。该项目的调查结果将改进和更新为海啸宣传和教育计划准备的材料。

Abstract:The 26 December 2004 Great Indian Ocean Tsunami cost the world community more than 230,000 lives. Additional DARTs have been planned and deployed in the Pacific Ocean to provide additional data and warning capabilities. However, on November 15, 2006 scientists and emergency workers in US were surprised by the tsunami generated by a large earthquake (Mw = 8.3) on the Kuril Islands subduction zone (Ledford, 2006). The earthquake generated a tsunami which was expected to reach Northern Japan in one hour and west coast of the United States in about 8 hours. Since the wave heights of this tsunami reaching Japan were, in general, less than 1 m, a large tsunami was not expected in Alaska or along the US west coast. Unfortunately, the tide gage data showed that the highest maximum wave heights on Oregon coast and Northern California were lager than 1m. Total damage in Crescent City, California is expected to be between $500,000 and $1,000,000. This research is aimed at understanding the behavior of the Kuril Islands tsunami. Based on the information and data collected in the proposed research activities, we intend to find the answers to the following scientific questions: 1. What is the cause of large tsunami wave heights along the US west coast? Why the wave heights are still relatively large there? Is it because of the strong wave reflection from the Aleutian Islands (trench)? Is it due to the reflection from the coast of North America or the trapped waves propagating along the coast (i.e., edge wave or stem wave)? Or is it a local phenomena (i.e., dominated by the local bathymetry)? 2. What is the reason that in many locations the maximum wave heights seem to occur 1.5 - 2 hours after the leading wave has arrived? Is the delay in occurrence caused by the harbor resonance? Is it strongly affected by the location of tide gage? Again, is it controlled by the local bathymetry? This project contributes to teaching by involving graduate and undergraduate students in the cross-disciplinary research. The research will shed light on the interactions of the Aleutian Islands (trench) and the continental shelf of Northern America with a distant tsunami and their effects on the tsunami heights along the Oregon and California coasts. The results will affect the protocol for issuing and canceling of tsunami warning for the US west coast. The research will also provide site specific information of the influence of local bathymetry on tide gage responses. Findings from the project will improve and update materials prepared for tsunami outreach and education programs.