Abstract Database

TSUNAMI PROPAGATION AND INUNDATION MODELINGS ALONG SOUTH-EAST COAST OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

MEE12620
Martin WAREK
Supervisor: Yushiro FUJII, Bunichiro SHIBAZAKI
Country: Papua New Guinea
Abstractfulltext

This study covers tsunami generation, propagation and inundation using eight earthquake scenarios along the New Britain Trench and Ramu-Markham Fault zone in the south-eastern region of Papua New Guinea. The tsunami propagation and inundation modeling, based on the TUNAMI-N2 hydrodynamic computational model, was used in this study. The computational domain ranges from 141o to 158o longitude and negative 1o to negative 12o latitude. The GEBCO 30 arc-second data and coastal topography data from SRTM were utilized in the computation of tsunami waves and the inundation study in the target areas. Eight earthquake scenarios comprising of two Mw8.6 segments, an Mw8.7 segment, and five Mw8.1 magnitudes were selected along the Ramu-Markham Fault zone and the New Britain Trench for computing tsunami height, travel time and inundation of the target areas. Geographically assuming tidal gauge stations at desired coastal points within the computational domain, tsunami heights and travel time to these coastal points were computed and results obtained. The earthquake scenarios, Mw8.6 segment_1 and Mw8.1 segment_A, with the highest tsunami height to the target areas were selected as computational model for tsunami inundation study. The tsunami travel time from fault segments covering both the sea and the land produced 0 min to 20 min travel time. The maximum tsunami heights of 3 to 4 m were recorded for Mw8.6 segment_1 and Mw8.7 segment_2 in Woodlark Island, Kiriwina Island, and Finch coastal points. The inundation study reveals Lae City observing negligible inundation, while Salamaua Coast was inundated with tsunami inundation height of 3 m.