NUMERICAL MODELING OF TSUNAMI WAVE DESTRUCTION AND TURBULENT MIXING AT TSUNAMI WAVE CLASH ON THE SHORE

Abstract

A numerical model of propagation of internal gravity waves in a stratified medium is applied to the problem of tsunami wave run-up onto a shore. In the model, the ocean and the atmosphere are considered as a united continuum in which the density varies with height with a saltus at the water-air interface. The problem solution is sought as a generalized (weak) solution; such a mathematical approach automatically ensures correct conditions of matching of the solutions used on a water-air interlayer. The density stratification in the ocean and in the atmosphere is supposed to be described with an exponential function, but in the ocean a scale of the density stratification takes a large value and the density changes slightly. The initial wave running to a shore is taken in the form of a long solitary wave. The wave evolution is simulated with consideration of the time-varying vertical wave structure. Near the shore, the wave breaks down, and intensive turbulent mixing develops in the water thickness. The wave breakdown effect depends on the bottom shape. In the case when the bottom slope is small and the inshore depth grows slowly with the distance from the shore, mixing happens only in the upper stratum of the fluid due to the formation of a quiet region near the bottom. When the bottom slope takes a sufficiently large value, the depth where fluid mixing takes place goes down up to 50 meters. The developed model shows that the depth of the mixing effects strongly depends on the bottom shape, and the model may be useful for investigation of the impact strong gales and hurricanes on the coastline and beaches.