The magnitude of a tsunami varies with the depth of the earthquake

Tsunami, a series of waves in a body of water caused by the displacement of a large amount of water, generally in a large ocean or lake.

Earthquakes of similar size can cause tsunamis of greatly varying sizes. This commonly observed but poorly understood phenomenon has hampered reliable local tsunami warnings.

Research conducted by the University of Hawaii (UH) in Mānoa provides new insights linking the characteristics of earthquakes — the magnitude, depth at which two tectonic plates slide apart, and the stiffness of the plates involved — with the potential magnitude of earthquakes. result of the tsunami.

Previous researchers identified a special class of events known as tsunamis, which produce tsunamis disproportionately large for their size.

Kwok Fai Cheung, professor of ocean and resource engineering at the UH Mānoa College of Oceanic and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Thorne Lai of the University of California-Santa Cruz, and co-authors have discovered a straightforward explanation for this problem. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Using computer models, the team combined the physical processes that produce earthquakes and tsunamis with a wide range of observations of real-world events, including those classified as earthquakes and tsunamis. The model results showed that if the rupture extends to a shallow depth in the less solid part of the plate for a given earthquake magnitude, the resulting tsunami is more significant than if the rupture was deeper.

“In the subduction zone, the upper plate is thinner and less rigid than the lower plate near the trench,” Cheung explained. “A concentrated rupture near the trench or shallow rupture produces relatively weak ground shaking as recorded by seismometers, but the displaced waters in the deep ocean have enhanced energy and produce shorter tsunamis that amplify at a high rate as they move toward shore.”

“The processes of earthquakes and tsunamis are complex, and involve many factors that vary from one event to the next,” said Lai, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “We used a simplified numerical model to isolate key earthquake parameters and assess their significance in determining the magnitude of the tsunami.”

Investigating the presence of a shallow earthquake rupture could be a more important factor than earthquake magnitude for the resulting tsunami size which led the researchers to an important question: Can earthquake magnitude continue to be used as a primary indicator of potential tsunami effects?

“The practice of using earthquake magnitude to estimate potential tsunami risk has compromised the predictive power of tsunami effects, and more information about the source is needed to do a better job,” Cheung said.

Graphic showing how a tsunami works Credit: Ocean Institute, Edited by NOAA/NWS/CGS

An important aspect of this interdisciplinary research is the synergy of expertise in seismology, with Lay and tsunamis, with Cheung’s research group, applied to a wide range of observations.

This study stimulates the development of new research in seafloor seismology and geodesy that can rapidly detect shallow ruptures to achieve more reliable tsunami warnings.

Beaches throughout the Pacific Ocean and along the “Ring of Fire” are susceptible to tsunamis; The situation is even more dangerous for coastal communities close to the earthquake, where tsunamis arrive quickly – when detailed information about the earthquake is not yet available.

Cheung and Lay continue their collaboration to investigate prehistoric, historical and future tsunami events to better understand the risks to coastal communities and enable more accurate warning systems.

magazine reference

Cheung, K. F., Lay, T., Sun, L. et al. The size of a tsunami fluctuated with the depth of the rupture. nat. Geosci. (2021). DOI: 10.1038 / s41561-021-00869-z

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