2011 Tsunami Sourcebook: Japanese Disaster, Science and Survival Guides, History, Physics, Detection and Forecasting, Warning Systems, Designing for Tsunamis, Hazard Mitigation Programs by Progressive Management

Author:Progressive Management
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: japan, earthquake, tsunami, subduction, tsunamis, sendai
Publisher: Progressive Management

GLOSSARY

Amplitude

The tsunami’s rise above or drop below the ambient water level as read on a tide gauge.

Bore

Traveling wave with an abrupt vertical front or wall of water. Under certain conditions, the leading edge of a tsunami wave may form a bore as it approaches and runs onshore. A bore may also be formed when a tsunami wave enters a river channel, and may travel upstream penetrating to a greater distance inland than the general inundation.

Harbor Resonance

The continued reflection and interference of waves from the edge of a harbor or narrow bay. This interference can cause amplification of the wave heights and extend the duration of wave activity from a tsunami.

Horizontal Inundation Distance

The distance that a tsunami wave penetrates onto the shore. Measured horizontally from the mean sea level position of the water's edge, it is usually measured as the maximum distance for a particular segment of the coast.

Inundation

The depth, relative to a stated reference level, to which a particular location is covered by water.

Inundation Area

An area that is flooded with water.

Inundation Line (limit)

The inland limit of wetting, measured horizontally from the edge of the coast, defined by mean sea level.

Local/Regional Tsunami

Source of the tsunami is within 1000 km of the area of interest. Local or nearfield tsunami has a very short travel time (30 minutes or less), mid-field or regional tsunami waves have times on the order of 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Note: “local” tsunami is sometimes used to refer to a tsunami of landslide origin.

Period

The length of time between two successive peaks or troughs. May vary due to complex interference of waves. Tsunami periods generally range from 5 to 60 minutes.

Run-up

Maximum height of the water onshore observed above a reference sea level. Usually measured at the horizontal inundation limit.

Seiche

An oscillating wave in a partially or fully enclosed body of water. May be initiated by long period seismic waves, wind and water waves, or a tsunami.

Tidal Wave

Common term for tsunami used in older literature, historical descriptions, and popular accounts. Tides, caused by the gravitational attractions of the sun and moon, may increase or decrease the impact of a tsunami, but have nothing to do with their generation or propagation. However, most tsunamis (initially) give the appearance of a fast-rising or fast-ebbing tide as they approach shore, and only rarely appear as a near-vertical wall of water.

Travel Time

Time (usually measured in hours and tenths of hours) that it took the tsunami to travel from the source to a particular location.

Tsunami

A Japanese term derived from the characters “tsu” meaning harbor and “nami” meaning wave. Now generally accepted by the international scientific community to describe a series of traveling waves in water produced by the displacement of the sea floor associated with submarine earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

CHAPTER 18: SURVIVING A TSUNAMI - LESSONS FROM CHILE, HAWAII, AND JAPAN

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.