Suleimani, E.N., Hansen, R.A., Combellick, R.A., and Carver, G.A., 2002, Tsunami hazard maps of the Kodiak area, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, http://dx.doi.org/10.14509/2860.
Summary
This report is intended to provide guidance to local emergency managers in tsunami hazard assessment. Tsunami waves are a real threat for many Alaskan coastal locations, and community preparedness plays an important role in saving lives and property in a case of such a disaster. In this work we used a numerical modeling method to study tsunami waves generated by earthquake sources. We considered several hypothetical tsunami scenarios with a potential to generate tsunami waves that can affect communities in the Kodiak vicinity. Our results confirm that among the earthquake-generated tsunamis we modeled, the 1964 event can be considered a worst-case scenario for future planning. Although our tsunami models included a local fault source, [...]
Summary
This report is intended to provide guidance to local emergency managers in tsunami hazard assessment. Tsunami waves are a real threat for many Alaskan coastal locations, and community preparedness plays an important role in saving lives and property in a case of such a disaster. In this work we used a numerical modeling method to study tsunami waves generated by earthquake sources. We considered several hypothetical tsunami scenarios with a potential to generate tsunami waves that can affect communities in the Kodiak vicinity. Our results confirm that among the earthquake-generated tsunamis we modeled, the 1964 event can be considered a worst-case scenario for future planning. Although our tsunami models included a local fault source, we did not model local landslide-generated waves. Results of numerical modeling combined with historical observations can be very helpful in evacuation planning and public education for reducing risks from future tsunamis.
Large seismic events occurring in the vicinity of the Alaska Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska have a very high potential for generating both local and Pacific-wide tsunamis. Saving lives and property depends on how well a community is prepared, which makes it essential to estimate the potential flooding of the coastal zone in the case of a local or distant tsunami. The Alaska Tsunami Mapping Team (ATMT) participates in the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) by evaluating and mapping potential inundation of selected parts of the Alaska coastline using numerical modeling of tsunami wave dynamics. The communities are selected for inundation modeling in coordination with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) with consideration for location, infrastructure, availability and quality of bathymetric and topographic data, and community involvement. The tsunami inundation maps described in the associated manuscript represent the results of the continuous effort of state and federal agencies to produce inundation maps for many Alaska coastal communities.
