Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2022-95
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2022-95
18 Mar 2022
 | 18 Mar 2022
Status: a revised version of this preprint was accepted for the journal NHESS and is expected to appear here in due course.

Nearshore Tsunami amplitudes across the Maldives archipelago due to worst case seismic scenarios in the Indian Ocean

Shuaib Rasheed, Simon C. Warder, Yves Plancherel, and Matthew D. Piggott

Abstract. The Maldives face the threat of tsunamis from a multitude of sources. However, the limited availability of critical data, such as bathymetry (a recurrent problem for many island nations), has meant that the impact of these threats has not been studied at an island scale. Studies of tsunami propagation at the island scale but across multiple Atolls is also a challenging task due to the large domain and high resolution required for modelling. Here we use a high resolution bathymetry dataset of the Maldives archipelago, and corresponding high numerical model resolution, to carry out a scenario-based tsunami hazard assessment for the entire Maldives archipelago to investigate the potential impact of plausible far-field tsunamis across the Indian Ocean at the island scale. The results indicate that the bathymetry of the Atolls, which are characterized by very steep boundaries offshore, is extremely efficient in absorbing and redirecting incoming tsunami waves. Results also highlight the importance that local effects have in modulating tsunami amplitude nearshore, including the location of the Atoll in question, the location of a given island within the Atoll, and the distance of that island to the reef, as well as a variety of other factors. We also find that the refraction and diffraction of tsunami waves within individual Atolls contribute to the maximum tsunami amplitude patterns observed across the islands in the Atolls. The findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of tsunamis across complex Atoll systems, and will help decision and policy makers in the Maldives asses the potential impact of tsunamis across individual islands. An online tool is provided which presents users with a simple interface allowing the wider community to browse the simulation results presented here and assess the potential impact of tsunamis at the local scale.

Shuaib Rasheed et al.

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on nhess-2022-95', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Apr 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on nhess-2022-95', Joern Behrens, 28 Apr 2022

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on nhess-2022-95', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Apr 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on nhess-2022-95', Joern Behrens, 28 Apr 2022

Shuaib Rasheed et al.

Shuaib Rasheed et al.

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Short summary
Here we use a high resolution bathymetry dataset of the Maldives archipelago, and corresponding high numerical model resolution, to carry out a scenario-based tsunami hazard assessment for the entire Maldives archipelago to investigate the potential impact of plausible far-field tsunamis across the Indian Ocean at the island scale. The results indicate that seeveral factors contribute to mitigating and amplifying tsunami waves at the island scale.
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