Simulations of the tsunami on Samoa
Date: 10/1/2009
NGI and ICG have made numerical simulations of
generation and propagation of the tsunami which hit the Pacific islands
Samoa and American Samoa on Wednesday morning Norwegian time.
The numerical simulations are based on
generally available data on the earthquake in the Western Pacific and
the topography in the affected area. The analysis is done by ICG and
NGI's tsunami group and Professor
Geir Pedersen at the
University of Oslo.
The reported magnitude of earthquake
southwest of Samoa islands ranges between Mw 8-8.3 on the Richter scale.
Our earthquake sources is based on the combination of public available
magnitude estimates, as well as
seismic wave inversion by Yagi, and has
a moment magnitude of Mw 8.1.
Information on sea bottom topography is
provided by "General
Bathymetric Charts of the Oceans". Data describing seabed
movements and topography are used as input parameters for analysis of
tsunami propagation by using the GloBouss modell, developed by NGI/ICG/UIO.
The results of the analyses of the
tsunami hitting the islands of American Samoa and Samoa and the northern
islands of Tonga can be seen in the animations at
NGI's webpage. In addition, the run-up of the waves when the
tsunami hits the islands were also simulated by the
NOAA's ComMIT modell. NOAA Center for
Tsunami Research has created
theme-sites for the Samoa
Event.
Read more and view simulations of the tsunamis at
NGI's webpage.
Read more about NGI's
state-of-the-art expertise on tsunamis.
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