Tsunami Squares simulation of megathrust-generated waves: Application to the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami

Abstract

Large subduction zone earthquakes often cause tsunamis, but observational data for hazard analysis is limited. Synthetic catalogs of seismically-generated tsunami scenarios can be created by pairing earthquake and wave simulations. Tsunami Squares is one such wave simulator, explicitly tracking water mass and momentum, allowing simulation of dry land and the inundation process. We demonstrate a C++ port of Tsunami Squares paired with the Virtual Quake simulator by replicating the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Comparisons of coastal run-up and wave heights with observations finds good agreement, with future improvements coming from tsunami source time dependence. Keywords: Tsunami Squares, Simulation, Hazard analysis