Submarine landslides and local tsunami waves (Corinthos Gulf, Greece)

Abstract

The problem of submarine sediment slide which generates the surface water waves is considered. To simulate numerically the landslide motion it is used the method which permits to take into account detailed rheological properties of slide body constituents. The numerical simulation of landslide-induced surface water waves is performed on the basis of nonlinear shallow water equations. It is studied a landslide behavior for two values of maximal friction angle. The detailed comparison of landslide dynamics and evolution of landslide-induced surface water waves during sliding is performed. Also, the evolution of dipolar water wave generated in the beginning of sediment sliding is studied. It is obtained that this dipolar wave is then transformed in two wave groups: crest and trough coming seaward and trough accompanied by crest coming to the shoreline. The second wave group leads firstly to sea recession from the beach and only then to large runup (tsunami wave with first negative phase).