Accession Number:

ADA063663

Title:

Type 16 Flood Insurance Study: Tsunami Predictions for the West Coast of the Continental United States.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.,

Corporate Author:

ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG MISS

Personal Author(s):

• Houston,James R.
• Garcia,Andrew W.

Report Date:

1978-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

73.0

Abstract:

Calculations of runup due to tsunamis of distant origin were made for most of the west coast of the continental United States. Runup values were determined that were expected to be equaled or exceeded on the average of once per 100 or once per 500 years. Historical data of tsunami activity in distant generation regions were used in the investigation in conjunction with numerical models that generated tsunamis and propagated them across the deep-ocean and nearshore region. The combined effects of astronomical tides and tsunamis were also incorporated into the analysis. Numerical simulations of actual historical tsunamis and comparisons of calculations with tide gage recordings were presented. Calculations of tsunami runup based upon data of local historical tsunamis at the few locations on the west coast where there were sufficient historical data to allow reasonable predictions were compared with predictions based upon the methods presented in the investigation. Author

Descriptors:

• *OCEAN WAVES
• MATHEMATICAL MODELS
• NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
• MATHEMATICAL PREDICTION
• CALIFORNIA
• PACIFIC OCEAN
• DEEP OCEANS

Subject Categories:

• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE