Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling
Abstract Tsunamis are a major hazard along many of the world's coastlines. To understand the impact of these events, a sufficiently long record of previous events is needed, which can be provided by their sedimentary deposits. A number of past events have left extensive sedimentary deposits tha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | The Depositional Record |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.247 |
| _version_ | 1797523800332435456 |
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| author | Jon Hill Graham Rush Jeff Peakall Michael Johnson Luke Hodson Natasha L. M. Barlow Elisabeth T. Bowman W. Roland Gehrels David M. Hodgson Georges Kesserwani |
| author_facet | Jon Hill Graham Rush Jeff Peakall Michael Johnson Luke Hodson Natasha L. M. Barlow Elisabeth T. Bowman W. Roland Gehrels David M. Hodgson Georges Kesserwani |
| author_sort | Jon Hill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Tsunamis are a major hazard along many of the world's coastlines. To understand the impact of these events, a sufficiently long record of previous events is needed, which can be provided by their sedimentary deposits. A number of past events have left extensive sedimentary deposits that can be used to understand the hydrodynamics of the tsunami. The ca 8.15 ka Storegga submarine slide was a large, tsunamigenic mass movement off the coast of Norway. The resulting tsunami had estimated run‐up heights of around 10 to 20 m on the Norwegian coast, over 30 m in Shetland and 3 to 6 m on the Scottish mainland coast. New cores were taken from the Ythan Valley in North‐East Scotland, where Storegga tsunami deposits have previously been found. High‐resolution sedimentary analyses of the cores, combined with statistical (changepoint) analysis, shows signatures of multiple waves. Moreover, detailed CT scans of the erosional basal surface reveal sole marks called skim marks. Taken in conjunction with the grain size and sedimentary fabric characteristics of the tsunami deposits, this indicates that the flow exhibited a high‐concentration basal component, with an initial semi‐cohesive phase and that deposition was dominantly capacity driven. A multiple wave hypothesis is tested by creating a high‐resolution numerical model (metre‐scale) of the wave inundation, coupled to a previously published regional model. The inundation model confirms that multiple waves passed over the site in agreement with the sedimentological analysis. The sensitivity of the model to the reconstructed palaeocoastal geomorphology is quantitatively explored. It is concluded that local palaeogeomorphological reconstruction is key to understanding the hydrodynamics of a tsunami wave group in relation to its sedimentary deposit. Combining sedimentological data with high‐resolution inundation modelling is a powerful tool to help interpret the sedimentary record of tsunami events and hence to improve knowledge of their risks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:48:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e41421c14b8949a5bfd29da4395920da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-4877 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:48:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Depositional Record |
| spelling | doaj.art-e41421c14b8949a5bfd29da4395920da2023-11-22T07:45:38ZengWileyThe Depositional Record2055-48772023-11-01941046106510.1002/dep2.247Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modellingJon Hill0Graham Rush1Jeff Peakall2Michael Johnson3Luke Hodson4Natasha L. M. Barlow5Elisabeth T. Bowman6W. Roland Gehrels7David M. Hodgson8Georges Kesserwani9Department of Environment and Geography University of York York UKDepartment of Environment and Geography University of York York UKSchool of Earth and Environment University of Leeds Leeds UKCommissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Cadarache, DES, IRESNE, DTN, SMTA, LEAG Saint‐Paul‐lez‐Durance FranceDepartment of Environment and Geography University of York York UKSchool of Earth and Environment University of Leeds Leeds UKDepartment of Civil and Structural Engineering University of Sheffield Sheffield UKDepartment of Environment and Geography University of York York UKSchool of Earth and Environment University of Leeds Leeds UKDepartment of Civil and Structural Engineering University of Sheffield Sheffield UKAbstract Tsunamis are a major hazard along many of the world's coastlines. To understand the impact of these events, a sufficiently long record of previous events is needed, which can be provided by their sedimentary deposits. A number of past events have left extensive sedimentary deposits that can be used to understand the hydrodynamics of the tsunami. The ca 8.15 ka Storegga submarine slide was a large, tsunamigenic mass movement off the coast of Norway. The resulting tsunami had estimated run‐up heights of around 10 to 20 m on the Norwegian coast, over 30 m in Shetland and 3 to 6 m on the Scottish mainland coast. New cores were taken from the Ythan Valley in North‐East Scotland, where Storegga tsunami deposits have previously been found. High‐resolution sedimentary analyses of the cores, combined with statistical (changepoint) analysis, shows signatures of multiple waves. Moreover, detailed CT scans of the erosional basal surface reveal sole marks called skim marks. Taken in conjunction with the grain size and sedimentary fabric characteristics of the tsunami deposits, this indicates that the flow exhibited a high‐concentration basal component, with an initial semi‐cohesive phase and that deposition was dominantly capacity driven. A multiple wave hypothesis is tested by creating a high‐resolution numerical model (metre‐scale) of the wave inundation, coupled to a previously published regional model. The inundation model confirms that multiple waves passed over the site in agreement with the sedimentological analysis. The sensitivity of the model to the reconstructed palaeocoastal geomorphology is quantitatively explored. It is concluded that local palaeogeomorphological reconstruction is key to understanding the hydrodynamics of a tsunami wave group in relation to its sedimentary deposit. Combining sedimentological data with high‐resolution inundation modelling is a powerful tool to help interpret the sedimentary record of tsunami events and hence to improve knowledge of their risks.https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.247modellingsedimentary analysisStoreggatsunami |
| spellingShingle | Jon Hill Graham Rush Jeff Peakall Michael Johnson Luke Hodson Natasha L. M. Barlow Elisabeth T. Bowman W. Roland Gehrels David M. Hodgson Georges Kesserwani Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling The Depositional Record modelling sedimentary analysis Storegga tsunami |
| title | Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| title_full | Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| title_fullStr | Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| title_short | Resolving tsunami wave dynamics: Integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| title_sort | resolving tsunami wave dynamics integrating sedimentology and numerical modelling |
| topic | modelling sedimentary analysis Storegga tsunami |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.247 |
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