Lagrangian hydrocode simulations of the 1958 Lituya Bay tsunamigenic rockslide

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Abstract
The interaction of debris flows, whether subaqueous or subaerial, with bodies of water can produce tsunamis with a locally devastating impact. When debris flows begin above the water surface, the impact can produce a large air cavity, corresponding to a large effective volume of water displaced and complicating efforts to model the resulting tsunami. Because grid‐based, Eulerian numerical methods have an inherent difficulty tracking material boundaries, we have implemented a particle‐based, Lagrangian model (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics). We treat the debris flow as an incompressible, viscous fluid and the body of water as inviscid. We use this model to simulate the 1958 Lituya Bay rockslide and resulting tsunami. Our simulation results compare favorably with field observations as well as a scaled laboratory experiment and numerical studies.

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