On the use of finite fault solution for tsunami generation problems

Denys Dutykh (1) , Dimitrios Mitsotakis (2) , Xavier Gardeil (1) , Frédéric Dias (3)

1 LAMA - Laboratoire de Mathématiques
2 LM-Orsay - Laboratoire de Mathématiques d'Orsay
3 School of Mathematical Sciences [Dublin]

The present study is devoted to the problem of tsunami wave generation. The main goal of this work is two-fold. First of all, we propose a simple and computationally inexpensive model for the description of the sea bed displacement during an underwater earthquake, based on the finite fault solution for the slip distribution under some assumptions on the dynamics of the rupturing process. Once the bottom motion is reconstructed, we study waves induced on the free surface of the ocean. For this purpose we consider three different models approximating the Euler equations of the water wave theory. Namely, we use the linearized Euler equations (we are in fact solving the Cauchy-Poisson problem), a Boussinesq system and a novel weakly nonlinear model. An intercomparison of these approaches is performed. The developments of the present study are illustrated on the 17 July 2006 Java event, where an underwater earthquake of magnitude 7.7 generated a tsunami that inundated the southern coast of Java.

Mots clés: water waves; tsunami waves; co-seismic displacements; moving bottom; tsunami generation

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Océanographie; Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]; Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]; Milieux et Changements globaux; Physique Atmosphérique et Océanique [physics.ao-ph]; Analyse numérique [math.NA]; Dynamique des Fluides [physics.flu-dyn]; Physique Numérique [physics.comp-ph]; Océan, Atmosphère

Denys Dutykh, Dimitrios Mitsotakis, Xavier Gardeil, Frédéric Dias. On the use of finite fault solution for tsunami generation problems. 2010. ⟨hal-00509384v2⟩