Meteotsunami forecasting: sensitivities demonstrated by the 2008 Boothbay, Maine, event

Whitmore, Paul M.; Knight, Barry J.

doi:10.1007/s11069-014-1056-0

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This issue is partly overcome in meteotsunami studies by imposing an artificial atmospheric disturbance, which travels over a tsunamigenic region (Whitmore and Knight, 2014; FIGURE 1 | Locations where meteotsunamis had been documented by the year 1995 (upper panels), and by the year 2015 (lower panels). Size of stars is proportional to intensity of the documented events.…”

Section: Research Gaps and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern Approaches in Meteotsunami Research and Early Warning

et al. 2016

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The understanding of meteotsunamis-significant atmospherically generated long ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band-has advanced considerably during the last two decades. Scientists and specialists use near-field in situ data and remote observations, as well as atmospheric and ocean modeling, to study destructive events. The phenomenon has been reported and investigated worldwide, indicating its relevance as a marine natural hazard and demonstrating the urgent need for meteotsunami warning systems for certain countries. In this paper we summarize the present knowledge of the phenomenon, identify particular research gaps, and propose near-future critical components of meteotsunami research. We emphasize a potential concept of merging yet-to-be-developed meteotsunami warning systems and existing tsunami or multi-hazard early warning systems.

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Section: Research Gaps and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern Approaches in Meteotsunami Research and Early Warning

et al. 2016

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“…(1) the wind stress (Bechle & Wu, 2014;De Jong & Battjes, 2004;Dragani et al, 2014;Pellikka et al, 2014;Whitmore & Knight, 2014), (2) the local high tide level (Horvath & Vilibic, 2014), and (3) a higher water level from a storm surge or high mean seasonal sea level (Pattiaratchi & Wijeratne, 2014).…”

Section: Meteotsunamismentioning

confidence: 99%

Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis: Multiple Sources and Global Applications

Grezio

Babeyko²,

Baptista

et al. 2017

Reviews of Geophysics

211

165

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Applying probabilistic methods to infrequent but devastating natural events is intrinsically challenging. For tsunami analyses, a suite of geophysical assessments should be in principle evaluated because of the different causes generating tsunamis (earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, meteorological events, and asteroid impacts) with varying mean recurrence rates. Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analyses (PTHAs) are conducted in different areas of the world at global, regional, and local scales with the aim of understanding tsunami hazard to inform tsunami risk reduction activities. PTHAs enhance knowledge of the potential tsunamigenic threat by estimating the probability of exceeding specific levels of tsunami intensity metrics (e.g., run‐up or maximum inundation heights) within a certain period of time (exposure time) at given locations (target sites); these estimates can be summarized in hazard maps or hazard curves. This discussion presents a broad overview of PTHA, including (i) sources and mechanisms of tsunami generation, emphasizing the variety and complexity of the tsunami sources and their generation mechanisms, (ii) developments in modeling the propagation and impact of tsunami waves, and (iii) statistical procedures for tsunami hazard estimates that include the associated epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties. Key elements in understanding the potential tsunami hazard are discussed, in light of the rapid development of PTHA methods during the last decade and the globally distributed applications, including the importance of considering multiple sources, their relative intensities, probabilities of occurrence, and uncertainties in an integrated and consistent probabilistic framework.

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“…The similar meteotsunami event along the eastern Florida shelf, where a squall line moved along the coastline, was excited by an associated traveling air pressure jump and not by wind gust [Sallenger et al, 1995]. Furthermore, during most of other meteotsunamis, small-scale air pressure disturbances were found to be a main source of long-ocean waves [e.g., Orlić, 1980;Gomis et al, 1993;Vilibić, 2008;Vilibić et al, 2008;Renault et al, 2011;Whitmore and Knight, 2014]. Accompanying wind gusts were normally too weak ($10 m/s) to generate strong waves [Vilibić et al, 2004;Jans a et al, 2007;Sepić et al, 2009;Asano et al, 2012].…”

Section: 1002/2015jc010795mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ocean numerical models can qualitatively reproduce meteotsunami waves [ Rabinovich et al ., ; Liu et al ., ; Vilibić et al ., ; Dragani , ; Renault et al ., ; Monserrat et al ., ; Whitmore and Knight , ]; however, maximum wave heights at meteotsunami hot spots are often underestimated because of too coarse model resolution in coastal areas and especially in elongated bays and inlets [ Vilibić et al ., ; Orlić et al ., ]. A proper introduction of surface forcing to the ocean models is even larger problem, as state‐of‐the‐art meteorological models are still not able to accurately reproduce temporal and spatial variability of air pressure disturbances [ Horvath and Vilibić , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Northern Adriatic meteorological tsunamis: Assessment of their potential through ocean modeling experiments

2015

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Potential for generation of meteotsunami waves via open ocean resonance has been documented for the shallow northern Adriatic, based on a set of barotropic numerical modeling experiments. Model simulations were forced by a bell‐shaped traveling atmospheric (air pressure, wind) disturbance, with shape and propagation parameters chosen in accordance with measurements done during several observed northern Adriatic meteotsunamis. Air pressure disturbances were found to generate much larger meteotsunami waves than wind disturbances, with wind disturbances having a limited influence in the very coastal and shallow areas only. Numerical simulations reveal that the most important factor for generation of large meteotsunami waves is matching between the speed of the atmospheric disturbance and the speed of long‐ocean waves. Already a small (∼10%) deviation from resonant conditions stops the wave growth and dramatically decreases height of predicted waves. A train of atmospheric disturbances can significantly increase maximum wave heights at selected locations at which multiple reflections and superimpositions of meteotsunami waves occur. Sensitivity of model simulations to resonant conditions and limited cross‐propagation width of atmospheric disturbance explain the localization of destructive meteotsunami waves in a limited area during destructive historic events. Mapping of maximum predicted wave heights indicates places with large meteotsunami hazard potential, matching the locations where real events were observed, and may be a useful tool for assessing vulnerability and risks in coastal areas during extreme sea level events.

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Meteotsunami forecasting: sensitivities demonstrated by the 2008 Boothbay, Maine, event

Cited by 17 publications

References 24 publications

Modern Approaches in Meteotsunami Research and Early Warning

Modern Approaches in Meteotsunami Research and Early Warning

Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis: Multiple Sources and Global Applications

Northern Adriatic meteorological tsunamis: Assessment of their potential through ocean modeling experiments

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