Analysis of Factors Influencing Simulations of the 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki and 1964 Alaska Tsunamis

The purpose of this paper is to examine factorsinfluencing numerical simulations of tsunamis, andtheir implications for hazard mitigation. We focus ona specific finite element hydrodynamic model, chosenfor its role in the systematic development ofinundation maps for regions threatened primarily byCascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) tsunamis. However, inpart for generality and in part because of poorhistorical records for CSZ events, we discuss here theperformance of the model in the context of betterdocumented past events with epicenters locatedelsewhere: the July 12, 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki andthe March 28, 1964 Alaska tsunamis. Our analysisincludes the influence of grid refinement,interactions between tides and tsunamis, artificialenergy loss, and numerical parameterization. We showthat while the ability exists to reproduce pastevents, limitations remain in the modeling processthat should be accounted for in translating modelingresults into information for tsunami mitigation andresponse. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001