Hermann M. Fritz

Submarine volcanic eruptions can induce major local and regional tsunami hazards through varied source mechanisms. Large‐scale experiments of tsunamis generated by submarine volcanic eruptions are conducted to study the cylindrical wave generation and propagation in a three‐dimensional wave basin. A unique volcanic tsunami generator (VTG) was deployed at the bottom of the wave basin to generate volcanic tsunamis with repeatable and controlled source parameters. The physical modeling is based on the generalized Froude number defined with the VTG velocity and the near source water depth. The pneumatically driven vertical stroke motion generates leading elevation waves in the wave basin. The tsunami waves generated by the VTG are measured with a wave gauge array. The wave maker performance is characterized by the dimensionless leading wave amplitudes and periods. The experimental data show the variations of the leading wave amplitude, period, and celerity along the radial propagation distance. The generated cylindrical waves belong to the weakly nonlinear wave regime in the near field with decaying wave amplitude along radial propagation. The attenuation rate of the leading wave exceeds the range from the linear wave theory in runs with higher Froude numbers. The dimensionless leading wave period increases with the dimensionless propagation distance due to the dispersion relation. Empirical equations for the characteristic wave parameters such as amplitudes and periods are derived. The experimental results contribute to the understanding of volcanic tsunami generation processes and may serve rapid volcanic tsunami hazard assessments as well as the advancement and validation of numerical models.

Tsunamis generated by underwater volcanic eruptions are physically modeled in a large three-dimensional wave basin. A unique pneumatic volcanic tsunami generator (VTG) was deployed at the bottom of the wave basin to generate volcanic tsunamis with repeatable source parameters under controlled physical conditions. The volcanic Froude number defined with the VTG eruption velocity and water depth allows to physically model real-world events from slow mud-volcanoes to explosive eruptions. The VTG generates radial N-waves with prescribed vertical stroke motions in the wave basin. Initial three-dimensional water surfaces are reconstructed for the daylighting scenarios. Smooth dome shapes are observed during the submarine volcanic eruption and tsunami wave generation, which is followed by a trough formation at the source. A concentric vertical spike is observed for a specific range of water depths, which is generated by superposition of an inward propagating circular bore on top of the wave generator. The spike can be clustered with different ranges of a dimensionless VTG parameter. With an increasing dimensionless parameter, the spike pattern transitions through three distinct categories: smooth spike, rough spike, and splash spike. The dimensionless spike height and the dimensionless vertical velocity of the spike tip are dependent on the dimensionless VTG parameters. The maximum values of the dimensionless spike height and spike tip velocity are observed in the rough spike regime among all tested experimental scenarios.

Among the wide spectrum of volcanic tsunamis, the most devastating events have been caused by extremely explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows and debris avalanches of underwater or near surface volcanos. The 2015 “orange” alert at the Kick ‘em Jenny submarine volcano in the Caribbean Sea highlighted the challenges in characterizing the tsunami waves for a potential submarine volcanic eruption. The 2018 Anak Krakatau eruption and flank collapse generated tsunami resulted in a near water surface setting of the volcanic vents similar to these laboratory experiments and relevant for the remaining and future tsunami hazards.Source and runup scenarios are physically modeled using generalized Froude similarity in the three dimensional NHERI tsunami wave basin at Oregon State University. A novel volcanic tsunami generator (VTG) was deployed to study submarine volcanic eruptions with varying initial submergence and kinematics. The VTG consists of a telescopic eruptive column with an outer diameter of 1.2 m. The top cap of the pressurized eruptive column is accelerated vertically by eight synchronized 80 mm diameter pneumatic pistons with a stroke of 0.3 m. More than 300 experimental runs have been performed which include around 120 combinations of velocities and water depths. The variable eruption velocities of the VTG can mimic a wide range of processes ranging from relatively slow mud volcanoes and rapid explosive eruptions. The gravitational collapse of the eruptive column represents the potential engulfment and caldera formation. Water surface elevations and onshore runup are recorded by an array of resistance wave gauges and runup gauges. The VTG displacement is measured with an internal linear potentiometer and above and underwater camera recordings. Water surface reconstruction and kinematics are determined with a stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The water surface spike from the concentric collision of wave crest is observed under a limited range of Froude numbers. The energy conversion rates from the volcanic eruption to the wave train are quantified for various scenarios. Predictive equations of wave and spike characteristics are obtained and compared with existing linear and non-linear theories. The measured volcanic eruption and tsunami data serve to validate and advance three-dimensional numerical volcanic tsunami prediction models.

On December 22, 2018, an eruption and partial collapse of the Anak Krakatau volcano generated a tsunami in the Sunda Strait. The tsunami caused catastrophic damage and more than 400 deaths in coastal regions of the Sunda Strait in Lampung (Sumatra) and Banten (Java). An international tsunami survey team (ITST) was deployed 6 weeks after the event to document flow depths, runup heights, inundation distances, sediment deposition, impact on the natural environment and infrastructure. The 4 to 9 February 2019 ITST focused on islands in the Sunda Strait: Rakata, Panjang, Sertung, Sebesi and Panaitan. The survey team logged more than 500 km by small boat. The collected survey data includes almost 100 tsunami runup and flow depth measurements. The tsunami impact peaked along steep slopes facing Anak Krakatau with an 85 m runup on Rakata and an 83 m runup on Sertung. The extreme runup heights were within less than 5 km of Anak Krakatau. Flow depth reached more than 11 m above ground on Sertung where a boat landing was possible and trees remained standing. On Sebesi Island located 15 km northeast of the source tsunami runup heights remained below 10 m. In contrast, tsunami heights exceeding 10 m were observed in the Ujung Kulon National Park located 50 km southwest of Anak Krakatau. The runup distributions on the islands encircling Anak Krakatau highlight the directivity of the tsunami source with the Anak Krakatau collapse towards the southwest. Inundation and damage were mostly limited to within 400 m of the shoreline given the relatively short wavelengths of volcanic tsunamis. Significant variation in tsunami impact was observed along shorelines of the Sunda Strait with tsunami heights rapidly decreasing with distance from the point source. Field observations, drone videos, and satellite imagery are presented. The team interviewed numerous eyewitnesses based on established protocol and educated residents about tsunami hazards. The tsunami caught the locals off guard despite the history and a six-month long eruptive activity in the lead up. Community-based education and awareness programs are essential to save lives in locales at risk from locally generated tsunamis. The 500 m initial height difference between the 1883 Krakatau and 2018 Anak Krakatau collapses provides a perspective on these two tsunamis. Remaining and future tsunami hazards will be affected by volcanic edifice regrowth.

After more than a decade of recurring tsunamis, identification of tsunami deposits, a part of hazard characterization, still remains a challenging task that is not fully understood. The lack of sufficient monitoring equipment and rare tsunami frequency are among the primary obstacles that limit our fundamental understanding of sediment transport mechanisms during a tsunami. The use of numerical simulations to study tsunami-induced sediment transport was rare in Indonesia until the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This study aims to couple two hydrodynamic numerical models in order to reproduce tsunami-induced sediment deposits, i.e., their locations and thicknesses. Numerical simulations were performed using the Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami (COMCOT) model and Delft3D. This study reconstructed tsunami wave propagation from its source using COMCOT, which was later combined with Delft3D to map the location of the tsunami deposits and calculate their thicknesses. Two-dimensional horizontal (2-DH) models were used as part of both simulation packages. Four sediment transport formulae were used in the simulations, namely van Rijn 1993, Engelund–Hansen 1967, Meyer-Peter–Mueller (MPM) 1948, and Soulsby 1997. Lhoong, in the Aceh Besar District, located approximately 60 km southwest of Banda Aceh, was selected as the study area. Field data collected in 2015 and 2016 validated the forward modeling techniques adopted in this study. However, agreements between numerical simulations and field observations were more robust using data collected in 2005, i.e., just months after the tsunami (Jaffe et al., 2006). We conducted pit (trench) tests at select locations to obtain tsunami deposit thickness and grain size distributions. The resulting numerical simulations are useful when estimating the locations and the thicknesses of the tsunami deposits. The agreement between the field data and the numerical simulations is reasonable despite a trend that overestimates the field observations.

After more than a decade of recurring tsunamis, identification of tsunami deposits, a part of hazard characterization, still remains a challenging task not fully understood. The lack of sufficient monitoring equipment and rare tsunami frequency are among the primary obstacles that limit our fundamental understanding of sediment transport mechanisms during a tsunami. The use of numerical simulations to study tsunami-induced sediment transport was rare in Indonesia until the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This study aims to couple two hydrodynamic numerical models in order to reproduce tsunami-induced sediment deposits, i.e., their locations and thicknesses. Numerical simulations were performed using the Cornell Multi-Grid Coupled Tsunami Model (COMCOT) and Delft3D. This study reconstructed tsunami wave propagation from its source using COMCOT, which was later combined with Delft3D to map the location of the tsunami deposits and calculate their thicknesses. Two Dimensional-Horizontal (2DH) models were used as part of both simulation packages. Lhoong, in the Aceh Besar District, located approximately 60 km southwest of Banda Aceh, was selected as the study area. Field data collected in 2015 and 2016 validated the forward modeling techniques adopted in this study. However, agreements between numerical simulations and field observations were more robust using data collected in 2005, i.e., just months after the tsunami (Jaffe et al., 2006). We conducted pit (trench) tests at select locations to obtain tsunami deposit thickness and grain size distributions. The resulting numerical simulations are useful when estimating the locations and the thicknesses of the tsunami deposits. The agreement between the field data and the numerical simulations is reasonable despite a trend that overestimates the field observations.