(From the Data of International Expeditions of 1992
1998)
E. N. Pelinovsky* and I. A. Ryabov**
* Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
** Nizhni Novgorod State Technical University, Nizhni Novgorod, Russia
Received February 26, 1999
Abstract—The data on the run-up heights obtained from expeditionary examinations of a series of tsunamis
over the past decade are used in order to calculate their distribution functions. The lognormal distribution is
shown to represent the best fit of the data observed; hence, the principal factor controlling the wave height dis-
tribution along the coast is the inhomogeneity of the bottom topography and the coastline. The power-law dis-
tribution, mostly related to the geometrical attenuation of a wave during its propagation, describes the wave
height distribution of a single event only (Sulawesi, January 1, 1996). The influence of the finiteness of the num-
ber of measurements on the possibility of the estimation of the maximum run-up height from the measured val-
ues of the average height and dispersion is assessed. It is shown that, in the coastal zone, 30–40 measurements
are sufficient to obtain reliable results.
Pleiades Publishing home page | journal home page | top
If you have any problems with this server, contact webmaster.