Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

James Goff; Philip L.F. Liu; Bretwood Higman; Robert Morton; Bruce E. Jaffe; Harindra Fernando; Patrick Lynett; Hermann Fritz; Costas Synolakis; Starin Fernandoj

doi:10.1193/1.2205897

Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

James Goff, Philip L.F. Liu, Bretwood Higman, Robert Morton, Bruce E. Jaffe, Harindra Fernando, Patrick Lynett, Hermann Fritz, Costas Synolakis, Starin Fernandoj

Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

66 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) consisting of scientists from the United States, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka evaluated the impacts of the 26 December 2004 transoceanic tsunami in Sri Lanka two weeks after the event. Tsunami runup height, inundation distance, morphological changes, and sedimentary characteristics of deposits were recorded and analyzed along the southwest and east coasts of the country. Preliminary results show how local topography and bathymetry controlled the limits of inundation and associated damage to the infrastructure. The largest wave height of 8.71 m was recorded at Nonagama, while the greatest inundation distance of 390 m and runup height of 12.50 m was at Yala. At some sites, human alterations to the landscape increased the damage caused by the tsunami; this was particularly evident in areas of coral poaching and of sand dune removal.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	S155-S172
Journal	Earthquake Spectra
Volume	22
Issue number	SUPPL. 3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1193/1.2205897
Publication status	Published - 2006 Jun

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Geophysics

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10.1193/1.2205897

Cite this

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title = "Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami",

abstract = "An International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) consisting of scientists from the United States, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka evaluated the impacts of the 26 December 2004 transoceanic tsunami in Sri Lanka two weeks after the event. Tsunami runup height, inundation distance, morphological changes, and sedimentary characteristics of deposits were recorded and analyzed along the southwest and east coasts of the country. Preliminary results show how local topography and bathymetry controlled the limits of inundation and associated damage to the infrastructure. The largest wave height of 8.71 m was recorded at Nonagama, while the greatest inundation distance of 390 m and runup height of 12.50 m was at Yala. At some sites, human alterations to the landscape increased the damage caused by the tsunami; this was particularly evident in areas of coral poaching and of sand dune removal.",

author = "James Goff and Liu, {Philip L.F.} and Bretwood Higman and Robert Morton and Jaffe, {Bruce E.} and Harindra Fernando and Patrick Lynett and Hermann Fritz and Costas Synolakis and Starin Fernandoj",

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T1 - Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

AU - Goff, James

AU - Liu, Philip L.F.

AU - Higman, Bretwood

AU - Morton, Robert

AU - Jaffe, Bruce E.

AU - Fernando, Harindra

AU - Lynett, Patrick

AU - Fritz, Hermann

AU - Synolakis, Costas

AU - Fernandoj, Starin

PY - 2006/6

Y1 - 2006/6

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AB - An International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) consisting of scientists from the United States, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka evaluated the impacts of the 26 December 2004 transoceanic tsunami in Sri Lanka two weeks after the event. Tsunami runup height, inundation distance, morphological changes, and sedimentary characteristics of deposits were recorded and analyzed along the southwest and east coasts of the country. Preliminary results show how local topography and bathymetry controlled the limits of inundation and associated damage to the infrastructure. The largest wave height of 8.71 m was recorded at Nonagama, while the greatest inundation distance of 390 m and runup height of 12.50 m was at Yala. At some sites, human alterations to the landscape increased the damage caused by the tsunami; this was particularly evident in areas of coral poaching and of sand dune removal.

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Sri Lanka field survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Abstract

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