Numerical Study on the Turbulent Structure of Tsunami Bottom Boundary Layer Using the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami Waveform

Abstract

In this study, the tsunami-induced bottom boundary layer was investigated based on actual waveforms obtained by the GPS buoys along the coast of the Tohoku region during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake tsunami. The k-ω model was utilized for the numerical analysis in this study. As a result, the tsunami boundary layer thickness was found to be extremely thin compared to the water depth. The velocity distribution was similar to that of the bottom boundary layer under wind-generated waves. The flow regime is located in the transition from smooth turbulence to rough turbulence. Because of this, the gradient of the flow across the layer is much greater than the gradients in the steady flow direction. Therefore, the bottom friction is underestimated if the steady friction factor, such as in the Manning formula, is used. This study proposes a new simple method for calculating the bottom shear stress due to an irregular tsunami based on the wave friction law, and the k-ω model results are used to validate the proposed methods.

Keywords

• the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami
• bottom boundary layer
• bottom shear stress
• turbulence
• k-ω model
• flow regime