The Pacific Northwest is at risk of experiencing a large earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused by a rupture along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The earthquake and tsunami probability and impacts have been well-studied in the Pacific Northwest, but none of the tsunami inundation modeling has incorporated sediment transport or morphologic change. Because dunes are a large source of sand and are dynamic features, modeling tsunami impacts on Oregon\u2019s dune-backed beaches will help us better understand the morphologic change caused by a tsunami. Additionally, we can investigate the tsunami impacts to various types of dunes (e.g. tall and vegetated, wide and vegetated, low and unvegetated), and gain a better understanding of how they may (or may not) protect homes and infrastructure from tsunami inundation. Dunes on the Oregon coast have historically been modified to maintain desired ecosystem services, like views of the ocean, so understanding how modified dunes respond to a tsunami has important management implications.We utilize hydrodynamic models with sediment transport capabilities (e.g., FUNWAVE-TVD) to model the tsunami inundation and tsunami-induced morphological change on Oregon\u2019s dune-backed beaches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Pacific Northwest is at risk of experiencing a large earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused by a rupture along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The earthquake and tsunami probability and impacts have been well-studied in the Pacific Northwest, but none of the tsunami inundation modeling has incorporated sediment transport or morphologic change. Because dunes are a… Continue reading