CHARACTERISTICS OF OCEANIC WAVES CAUSED BY LANDSLIDES

The tsunamigenic potential of landslides has been reported in several studies before. Two-dimensional simulations are able to predict the wavelengths, but fail to produce a realistic radiation pattern of the waves caused by a landslide event. For this purpose full three-dimensional (3D) simulations are required. Due to high computational demands no parameter study has been performed in three dimensions so far. It has been recently shown that iSALE-3D, a multi-material, multi-rheology hydrocode originally developed to study hypervelocity impacts of meteorites, comets and asteroids on planetary surfaces, is capable of performing a large number of calculations within a reasonable time. Here we test the applicability of this 3D code to the landslide problem. We focus on modeling the initial wave generation to study the dependency of the resulting wave pattern on the slope of the bathymetry and the shape of the sliding body.

Within an intended computational framework, iSALE-3D may be a valuable tool providing information regarding the structure of the initial wave caused by a landslide event. Based upon these results, simulations of the wave propagation and run-up can be performed, allowing a better hazard assessment for coastal regions.