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Issue No. 6 | 10.10.2005
The Basics of Tsunami Physics and the Particulars of the Indian Ocean
Giora Shaviv
Recent tremendous human life loss due to the Tsunami generated by the strong earthquake of December 26th, 2004 drew much attention to the Tsunami phenomenon. The phenomenon has to do with the motion of a large body of water like an ocean. Several fundamental properties of Tsunami waves can be easily derived from the linear theory of waves in shallow water, like the propagation speed and the almost unattenuated propagation of energy over huge distances. We review the basic physics of shallow water and apply it to tsunami waves in an attempt to explain the behavior of the large tsunami wave generated by the large earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 2004. The basic assumptions entering the derivation of the physical properties are reviewed. The properties of the Indian Ocean, which provide the best of all oceans arena for the propagation of such wave are reviewed. The non-linear shoaling phenomenon, the coming of the wave ashore, is explained but not treated analytically.
The general map of the tectonic plates and their motion. |
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About the Author
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Giora Shaviv is professor of physics at the Department of Physics & Asher Space Research Institute, Technion, Haifa. He is holding the Shwartzmann-Medvedi chair in Space Sciences. His current research interests include electrostatic screening of nuclear reactions in stars, accretion disk physics and radiative transfer, generation of turbulence and effective viscosity, luminosity of accretion disks and physical processes in stellar physics.
Shallow wave theory, as applied to Tsunami and presented here is nothing but an application of the thin disk theory to water waves in the ocean.
@ Giora Shaviv
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