Wave height

About: Wave height is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5920 publications have been published within this topic receiving 100257 citations.

Occurrences, Properties, and Predictive Models of Landslide-Generated Water Waves

Abstract: Large water waves generated by landslides impacting with a body of water are known from Disenchantment and Lituya Bays, Alaska; Vaiont reservoir, Italy; Yanahuin Lake, Peru; Shimabara Bay, Japan; and many fiords in Norway. The combined death toll from these events most likely exceeds 20,000 people. Such waves may be oscillatory, solitary, or bores and nonlinear mathematical theories or linearizing assumptions are thus needed to describe their wave amplitudes, celerities, and periods. In this paper the following approaches are compared: (1) the Noda simulation of a vertically falling and horizontally moving slide by linearized impulsive wave theory and estimation of nonlinear wave properties; (2) the Raney and Butler modification of vertically averaged nonlinear wave equations written for two horizontal dimensions to include three landslide forcing functions, solved numerically over a grid for wave amplitude and celerity; (3) the empirical equations of Kamphuis and Bowering, based on dimensional analysis and two-dimensional experimental data; and (4) an empirical equation developed in this report from three-dimensional experimental data, i.e., log(η max /d) = a + b log(KE), where a, b = coefficients, η max = predicted wave amplitude, d = water depth, and KE = dimensionless slide kinetic energy. Beyond the slide area changes in waveform depend upon energy losses, water depth and basin geometry and include wave height decrease, refraction, diffraction, reflection, and shoaling. Three-dimensional mathematical and experimental models show wave height decrease to be a simple inverse function of distance if the remaining waveform modifiers are not too severe. Only the Raney and Butler model considers refraction and reflection. Run-up from waves breaking on a shore can be conservatively estimated by the Hall and Watts formula and is a function of initial wave amplitude, water depth, and shore slope. Predicted run-ups are higher than experimental run-ups from three-dimensional models. The 1958 Lituya Bay and 1905 Disenchantment Bay, Alaska events are examined in detail, and wave data are developed from field observations. These data and data based on a Waterways Experiment Station model are compared to wave hindcasts based on various predictive approaches, which yield a large range of predicted wave heights. The most difficult problems are in matching the exact basin geometry and estimating slide dimensions, time history, and mode of emplacement. Nevertheless, the hindcasts show that the mathematical and experimental model approaches do provide useful information upon which to base engineering decisions. In this regard the empirical equation developed in this report is at least as satisfactory as existing methods, and has the advantage of requiring less complicated input data.

Improved landslide-tsunami prediction: Effects of block model parameters and slide model

Abstract: [1] Subaerial landslide-tsunamis and impulse waves are caused by mass movements impacting into a water body, and the hazards they pose have to be reliably assessed. Empirical equations developed with physical Froude model studies can be an efficient method for such predictions. The present study improves this methodology and addresses two significant shortcomings in detail for the first time: these are the effect of three commonly ignored block model parameters and whether the slide is represented by a rigid block or a deformable granular material. A total of 144 block slide tests were conducted in a wave flume under systematic variation of three important block model parameters, the slide Froude number, the relative slide thickness, and the relative slide mass. Empirical equations for the maximum wave amplitude, height, and period as well as their evolution with propagation distance are derived. For most wave parameters, remarkably small data scatter is achieved. The combined influence of the three block model parameters affects the wave amplitude and wave height by up to a factor of two. The newly derived equations for block slides are then related to published equations for granular slides. This comparison reveals that block slides do not necessarily generate larger waves than granular slides, as often argued in the technical literature. In fact, it is shown that they may also generate significant smaller waves. The new findings can readily be integrated in existing hazard assessment methodologies, and they explain a large part of the discrepancy between previously published data.