Numerical Simulation Studies of Tsunami Run-Up along Neendakara – Trikkunnapuzha Coastal Stretch of Southern Kerala, South West Coast of India

Abstract

Our country India and our state Kerala were in the shadow zone of several natural disasters and calamities. The tsunami of 2004, Ockhi of 2017 and recent flood of 2018 changed our ongoing perspectives about disasters. Before 2004 the term tsunami was a matter of strange science fiction books, cinemas or things which were happening on the other side of the globe or planet. During 26th December 2004 tsunami disaster came into reality and the need for a tsunami warning centre was badly felt. These warning centres will help us to predict the run up and inundation of tsunami. The main component of tsunami warning system is the prediction of inundation and run up along a coastline which can only be accomplished through the process of numerical modelling. Several global tsunami models like TUNAMI N2, MOST, MIKE, ADCIRC etc. are available for tsunami modelling. From these models a model TUNAMI N2 model was selected and used for model computations since it gives importance to fine grid data. A 34 km coastal stretch starting from Neendakara in south to Trikkunnapuzha in north of Southern Kerala was taken as the study area since it was the worstly affected area during 2004 Sumatra tsunami. The model is also computed for Sumatra, Makran, CarNicobar, North Andaman and Hypothetical potential worst-case sources and the results are presented in this paper. The model predicted maximum run-up heights for Sumatra 2004 earthquake, whereas all other sources predicted lesser run-up which can be attributed to high seismic intensity of tsunamigenic earthquake and its direction of propagation.