Peculiarities of tsunamis generated by Asteroid impact or nuclear explosions in the northwest of Black Sea

Different models are used to evaluate the seashore effects of the tsunami generated by an asteroid impacting the shallow-water plateau in the northwest basin of the Black Sea. The shortest distance between the impact location and the coast is about 185 km. The tsunami’s effects on the coastal regions depend on many factors among which the most important is asteroid size. The tsunami generated by a 250-m asteroid reaches the nearest dry land location in 35 min and needs about 2 h to arrive all over the Black Sea coast. The run-up value is about 2 m high on Turkish and Crimean coasts. In the western Black Sea regions, the wave height is about 3 m. The run-up values strongly depend on bathymetry and topography peculiarities. The run-up values in case of the tsunami generated by a 1,000-m-sized asteroid are up to five to six times larger than in case of the 250-m impactor, depending on location. Differences between the tsunami’s dynamics on coastal regions situated in the proximity of deep water and shallow water, respectively, are outlined. Aspects concerning accidental or deliberate nuclear explosions are briefly referred. Possible social consequences and prevention are shortly discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011