A macroseismic model of a tsunami source and estimation of its efficiency by numerical modeling

Abstract

A typical model of the source of a tsunami ("macroseismic source") is suggested for use in approx imate estimation of maximum tsunami height using straightforward numerical modeling. In this paper the model is tested using three actual events: the 1952 North Kuril Is., 1971 Moneron, and 1994 Shikotan earth quakes, which excited considerable tsunamis at Russia's Far East coasts. Comparison of the maximum tsu nami runup values as obtained in numerical experiments with observations of actual tsunamis showed that the numerical model proposed here is suitable for crude estimation of tsunami runup and tsunami waiting times for coastal population centers in the near zone of a tsunami source.