Tide gauge measurements and analysis of the Indian Ocean tsunami on the Pacific coast of South America

A.B. Rabinovich1,2 and R.E. Thomson1

Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, B.C. Canada 2 P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russia
1

Tsunami of the December 26, 2004 recorded in the World Ocean

e l l i t u d e a u 7 0c m G h e ig 6 0 p
5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 >

g h

e t s

c o

s t a

-2 m
0 . 0 5 m

Maximum tsunami amplitudes computed by V.V. Titov (PMEL/NOAA)

[Titov et al., Science, 2005]

MOST model of the December 26, 2005 tsunami

Numerical model by V.V. Titov (PMEL/NOAA)

Location of tide gauge stations on the coast of South America

2004 Sumatra tsunami: Observed wave parameters

Station Name Sampling Interval Baltra I., Galapagos Is., Equador Callao, Peru Arica, Chile Iquique, Chile Antofagasta, Chile Caldera, Chile Coquimbo, Chile Valpraiso, Chile San Antonio, Chile Talcahuano, Chile Corral, Chile Punta Corona, Chile 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2 1st
nd

Train

Wave Height (cm) 14 36 20 68 25.5 72 13 24.5 7.5 27.5 13 22 20.5 36 8.5 18 8.5 15 24 43 19 29 <5

Wave period (min) 34 41 38 36 46 39 50 14;37 46 44 31 16.5 33 34.5 32 36.5 50 54 33 irregular 34 36 ~20

Tsunami arrival time (27/12) 06:26 11:04 05:49 08:23 04:02 08:28 03:35 09:45 03:25 10:25 03:16 06:46 01:53 07:39 01:04 05:10 ~00:12 ~11:12 01:35 09:49 01:49 06:11 01:45

Tsunami travel time 29h 27min 34h 05min 28h 50min 31h 24min 27h 03min 31h 29min 26h 36min 32h 46min 26h 26min 33h 26min 26h 17min 29h 47min 24h 54min 30h 40min 24h 05min 28h 11min ~23h 13min ~34h 13min 24h 36min 32h 50min 24h 50min 29h 12min 24h 45min

nd

1st 2 1st
nd

nd

1st 2 1st
nd

2 1st
nd

2 1st

nd

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami records on the Pacific coast of South America

(1) Long ringing (>2 days) (2) Slow energy decay (3) Unclear first arrival

(4) Train structure (5) Maximum waves in 8-30 hrs after the first arrival (in the second or third train)

The 2004 tsunami as recorded in the Indian Ocean

West Indian Ocean
E
Salalah (4 min)

Central and East Indian Ocean

Cocos (1 min)

E
Colombo (2 min)

Pointe LaRue (4 min)

Hanimaadhoo (2 min)

m c 0 2

v l a e S

Port Louis (2 min)

v l a e S

Male (4 min)

Lamu (4 min) Zanzibar (4 min)

Gan (4 min)

Diego Garcia (6 min)

06

12

18

06

12

18

December 2004

December 2004

(1) Relatively short ringing (1-1.5 days) (2) First arrival is abrupt and clear

(3) Maximum waves are in the very beginning (4) Fast amplitude decay

m c 0 2

North Pacific Ocean

Aleutian and Kuril Islands
E
A t m o s p h e r i c a ll y in d u c e d s e i c h e s 1 T A T 2 T s u n a m

e v e r o K u r i l s k i( R u s s i a )

Pacific coast of Canada

A d a k I . ( A K )
2

S e a le v e l

t c h

a r b

20 cm

( A

in

( A

i a k

I .

( A

c e m

b e

2 0 0

Indian Ocean (Sumatra) tsunami of December 26, 2004

Recorded tsunami wave heights along the coast of South America

Tsunami and background spectra

The spectra of tsunamis from different earthquakes are similar at the same location but are quite different for the same event for nearby locations [Omori, 1902, and many others]

Reconstructed source functions

Northern group of stations

S observed ( ) E ( ) + S 0 ( ) R( ) = = A01 2 E ( ) + 1.0 Sbackground ( ) S 0 ( )

Reconstructed source functions

Southern group of stations

Averaged source function

While individual tsunami spectra are significantly different for different stations, the reconstructed source function is supposed to be independent of local topographic effects and be related to the actual spectral characteristics of the source. Good agreement of this function calculated for various sites and different regions supports this assumption.

Reconstructed source functions

based on Canadian records (BC coast)

Wavelet plots of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (1)

Time: 25/12 18h 28/12 18h Periods: 2.5h 0.20h

Wavelet plots of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (2)

Time: 25/12 18h 28/12 18h Periods: 2.5h 0.20h

Wavelet analysis of the Indian Ocean records

Time: 25/12 12h 28/12 12h Periods: 2.5h 0.20h (Cocos1: 1.67h 0.13h)

Conclusions:
1. The 2004 Sumatra tsunami was the first globalscale tsunami in the instrumental era and it was observed throughout the World Ocean, including the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans. 2. This tsunami was clearly measured by tide gauges along the entire Pacific coast of South America with wave heights ranging from a few cm (Punta Corona) to 72 cm (Arica).

3. The resonant characteristics of the shelf and coastline strongly determine the observed features of tsunami waves, in particular wave heights and periods; maximum waves were observed at sites having eigen (natural) periods from 30 to 60 minutes. 4. The recorded tsunami waves are characterized by long ringing (>2days), slow energy decay, and clear train wave structure with maximum waves related mainly to the second or third train (8-30 hours after the first arrival); from this point of view these records are quite different from those observed in the Indian Ocean but similar to those observed in the North Pacific and North Atlantic.

5. The observed spectra of tsunami waves had peaks significantly different for different stations; in contrast, these peaks were in good agreement with background peaks at the same sites. Significant tsunami oscillations were observed at stations with local resonant periods of 30-50 min, apparently corresponding to the periods of arriving tsunami waves. 6. In contrast to individual tsunami spectra, the reconstructed source function is found to be very consistent and almost independent of local topographic effects and is apparently related to the spectral characteristics of the source.