Role of sediment transport model to improve the tsunami numerical simulation

Abstract:

Are we overlooking an important factor for improved numerical prediction of tsunamis in shallow sea to onshore? In this presentation, several case studies on numerical modeling of tsunami-induced sediment transport are reviewed, and the role of sediment transport models for tsunami inundation simulation is discussed.

Large-scale sediment transport and resulting geomorphological change occurred in the coastal areas of Tohoku, Japan, due to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami. Datasets obtained after the tsunami, including geomorphological and sedimentological data as well as hydrodynamic records, allows us to validate the numerical model in detail. The numerical modeling of the sediment transport by the 2011 tsunami depicted the severest erosion of sandy beach, as well as characteristic spatial patterns of erosion and deposition on the seafloor, which have taken place in Hirota Bay, Sanriku Coast. Quantitative comparisons of observation and simulation of the geomorphological changes in Sanriku Coast and Sendai Bay showed that the numerical model can predict the volumes of erosion and deposition with a right order. In addition, comparison of the simulation with aerial video footages demonstrated the numerical model is capable of tracking the overall processes of tsunami sediment transport.

Although tsunami-induced sediment erosion and deposition sometimes cause significant geomorphological change, and may enhance tsunami hydrodynamic impact to the coastal zones, most tsunami simulations do not include sediment transport modeling. A coupled modeling of tsunami hydrodynamics and sediment transport draws a different picture of tsunami hazard, comparing with simple hydrodynamic modeling of tsunami inundation.

Since tsunami-induced erosion, deposition and geomorphological change sometimes extend more than several kilometers across the coastline, two-dimensional horizontal model are typically used for the computation of tsunami hydrodynamics and sediment transport. Limitations of the conventional model and future challenges are discussed regarding further improvement of numerical modeling of tsunami and sediment transport. Improved numerical modeling may provide useful information for assessing sediment-related damages and planning post-disaster recovery.