 |
| Titel |
The Papua New Guinea tsunami of 17 July 1998: anatomy of a catastrophic event |
| VerfasserIn |
D. R. Tappin, P. Watts, S. T. Grilli |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1561-8633
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ; 8, no. 2 ; Nr. 8, no. 2 (2008-03-26), S.243-266 |
| Datensatznummer |
250005406
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/nhess-8-243-2008.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) tsunami of July 1998 was a seminal event because
it demonstrated that relatively small and relatively deepwater Submarine
Mass Failures (SMFs) can cause devastating local tsunamis that strike
without warning. There is a comprehensive data set that proves this event
was caused by a submarine slump. Yet, the source of the tsunami has remained
controversial. This controversy is attributed to several causes. Before the
PNG event, it was questionable as to whether SMFs could cause devastating
tsunamis. As a result, only limited modelling of SMFs as tsunami sources had
been undertaken, and these excluded slumps. The results of these models were
that SMFs in general were not considered to be a potential source of
catastrophic tsunamis. To effectively model a SMF requires fairly detailed
geological data, and these too had been lacking. In addition, qualitative
data, such as evidence from survivors, tended to be disregarded in assessing
alternative tsunami sources. The use of marine geological data to identify
areas of recent submarine failure was not widely applied.
The disastrous loss of life caused by the PNG tsunami resulted in a major
investigation into the area offshore of the devastated coastline, with five
marine expeditions taking place. This was the first time that a focussed,
large-scale, international programme of marine surveying had taken place so
soon after a major tsunami. It was also the first time that such a
comprehensive data set became the basis for tsunami simulations. The use of
marine mapping subsequently led to a larger involvement of marine geologists
in the study of tsunamis, expanding the knowledge base of those studying the
threat from SMF hazards. This paper provides an overview of the PNG tsunami
and its impact on tsunami science. It presents revised interpretations of
the slump architecture based on new seabed relief images and, using these,
the most comprehensive tsunami simulation of the PNG event to date.
Simulation results explain the measured runups to a high degree. The PNG
tsunami has made a major impact on tsunami science. It is one of the most
studied SMF tsunamis, yet it remains the only one known of its type: a
slump. |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|