Events Calendar

Astani CEE Ph.D. Seminar

Speaker: Aycut Ayca and Nikos Kalligeris, Astani CEE Ph.D. Student

Talk Title: Current-Based Hazard Mapping in California Ports and Harbors

Abstract: First Presenter-Aycut Ayca
4:00-4:20pm(10 minutes Q&A)

As observed by recent tsunamis in California, maritime communities are the initial and primary communities to be impacted by tsunamis. These recent events which put portions of California’s coast into either an Tsunami Advisory or Warning level…2006 Kuril Islands, 2009 Samoa, 2010 Chile, 2011 Japan, and 2012 British Columbia…have caused over $100M in damages to over two dozen maritime communities in California.
In this presentation, the well-established approaches of coupling tsunami generation to seismic seafloor motion and the following trans-oceanic wave propagation will be briefly introduced. The focus of the discussion will be on the complex transformation of the tsunami as it approaches very shallow water, as well as how these possibly large and fast-moving water waves interact with coastal infrastructure. Most of the hydrodynamic results presented in this study come from the application of the ‘Method of Splitting Tsunami’ (MOST) numerical model. The MOST model was developed in USC and has been used extensively for tsunami hazard assessments in the United States and is currently in operational use at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL).
First part of this study will be current based hazard mapping. This will include predicting maximum current speeds in a particular port/harbor because of a tsunami and probabilistic assessment of tsunami-induced nearshore currents. The objective of this effort is to develop a set of probabilistic current maps (PCM’s) in a specific harbor. Output will be current maps at specific recurrence levels. The use of PCM’s would primarily be for planning and engineering design – mitigation of tsunami impacts. In addition, once the current-based hazard maps are developed, it becomes feasible to quantify risk and make informed decisions regarding existing and future development.
Then the modelling of debris and sediment movement and modeling updated mitigation measures within pilot study areas will be conducted. Then these would help with the development of 1) guidance for harbors to use with regard to debris and sediment movement, and 2) fragility curves for tsunami damage within harbors. This will be achieved by coupling MOST with a sediment transport model.

Second Presenter: Nikos Kalligeris
4:30-4:50 (10 minutes Q&A)

Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Evangeline Reyes