Tsunami Resilient Communities

Abstract

A tsunami resilient community is prepared for, and properly responds to, the next tsunami to minimize loss of life and disruption to normal community activities. Key technical elements required to create resilience are evacuation plans, based on tsunami hazard maps, and accurate real-time tsunami forecasts. To produce tsunami evacuation maps requires an assessment of the tsunami hazard from historical evidence or plausible scenarios. To accurately forecast tsunamis in real time requires timely ocean observations from deep-ocean and coastal sea level sensors to generate and disseminate warning and forecast information before the tsunami strikes. Deep-ocean tsunami data, from instruments termed tsunameters, and coastal sea level data, from tide gauges, are assimilated into high-resolution forecast models to provide an accurate forecast of tsunami flooding at specific sites. Presently, there are about 50 deep ocean and 200 sea level stations that provide tsunami data for four regional tsunami warning systems in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. Real-time forecast models can also be used to generate tsunami hazard maps that lead to the production of evacuation maps to guide community resilience activities. To sustain and maintain these regional tsunami warning systems, the concept of a Tsunami Forecasting Framework is introduced as a way to encourage standardization of modeling and observational technologies, to provide a testing environment for introducing and accepting improved technologies, and to encourage scientific engagement through opportunities for research. Future challenges are portrayed as the reality of sustaining tsunami warning systems between destructive tsunamis. Proactive ways a region can support an effective regional tsunami warning system include the creation of a tsunami response and recovery plan that would not only save lives during the hours of tsunami attack, but would save communities during the years of recovery.

Accuracy assessment of global barotropic ocean tide models

“…We employ many of the same tests performed by Shum97, but extensive improvements have been made to some of the test data. For example, the expanded tsunami warning network [ Bernard et al , ] has provided new seafloor pressure measurements in regions previously lacking in situ data. New data sets are now available over polar seas, including valuable new tidal GPS measurements obtained on floating ice shelves [ King et al , ] as well as new satellites capable of providing critical polar observations, such as the ICESat and CryoSat‐2 altimeter missions and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravimeter mission.…”

Ocean Observations Required to Minimize Uncertainty in Global Tsunami Forecasts, Warnings, and Emergency Response

“…tsunami size and character, even for large ocean-wide tsunamis (Bernard et al, 2010). This was because there was no comprehensive global tsunami detection and measurement capability.…”

A deterministic approach for assessing tsunami-induced building damage through quantification of hydrodynamic forces

“…Tsunami represents a major type of natural hazards, and has long been perceived as extremely rare events. However, at least one damaging tsunami event per year has been reported in the past two decades (Bernard et al, 2010), which have caused tremendous death and economic loss along the coastlines across the globe. For example, triggered by an M9.3 undersea earthquake with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami inundated a large number of coastal communities with waves up to 30m along the Indian Ocean coastline and killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.…”