Tsunami hazard maps of the Homer and Seldovia areas, Alaska
Dates
Publication Date
2005
Time Period
2005
File Modification Date
2016-02-09 17:42:00
Citation
Suleimani, E.N., Combellick, R.A., Marriott, D., Hansen, R.A., Venturato, A.J., and Newman, J.C., 2005, Tsunami hazard maps of the Homer and Seldovia areas, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, http://dx.doi.org/10.14509/14474.
Summary
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a potential tsunami risk for communities of Homer and Seldovia in the Kachemak Bay area, Alaska. This report provides guidance to the local emergency managers in tsunami hazard assessment. We used a numerical modeling method to estimate the extent of inundation due to tsunami waves generated by earthquake sources. Our tsunami scenarios included a repeat of the tsunami of the 1964 great Alaska earthquake, as well as a hypothetical tsunami wave generated by a local fault source. We didn't consider landslide-generated tsunamis in this study. Results of numerical modeling combined with historical observations in the region are intended to help local emergency services officials with evacuation [...]
Summary
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a potential tsunami risk for communities of Homer and Seldovia in the Kachemak Bay area, Alaska. This report provides guidance to the local emergency managers in tsunami hazard assessment. We used a numerical modeling method to estimate the extent of inundation due to tsunami waves generated by earthquake sources. Our tsunami scenarios included a repeat of the tsunami of the 1964 great Alaska earthquake, as well as a hypothetical tsunami wave generated by a local fault source. We didn't consider landslide-generated tsunamis in this study. Results of numerical modeling combined with historical observations in the region are intended to help local emergency services officials with evacuation planning and public education for reducing risk 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.