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The movies show the
tsunami of December 2002 around the Stromboli island and its physical
model at the Coastal Engineering Laboratory (LIC) of the Water
Engineering Dpt. of Bari technical University (Italy).
The research program was aimed at improving the knowledge of tsunami
waves hydraulics generated by landslides. The generation process, the
wave propagation, the interaction with the boundary of the domain of
interest, focusing on wave run-up and overtopping will be studied in
details. Tsunami waves are non periodic water free surface perturbations
of high period; they are able to produce disasters when reaching the
coast or the structures. Focusing on what happened in Italy in the last
100 years three occurrence of tsunami are worth to be mentioned. These
are the tsunami that in 1908 killed 120.000 people at Messina, the
Vajont dam disaster (2.000 people killed) and the very recent tsunami (December
2002) around the Stromboli island.
Vertical landslide generated wave SPH numerical modeling The forecasting
of tsunami and of their effects need joint efforts in the fields of
geophysics, geology, geothechnics and hydraulics. As far as the Italian
research is concerned only few, although valuable, contributions have
been provided in the last years in the field of hydraulics. To improve
the knowledge on this important topic, since 1998, thanks to the funding
of the National Dams Authority of the Italian Government, researchers of
the University of L’Aquila, University of Roma TRE, Tor Vergata and “La
Sapienza”, started to study tsunami waves.
Experimental, numerical and analytical studies have since now been
carried out in order to provide practical tools for wave parameters
forecasting. The present program originates from the experience on this
important field and from the need of further developing the studies
carried out until now. More specifically the research will aim at
developing simple formulae based on experimental results, able to
forecast wave parameters, wave run-up and wave overtopping. Numerical
models shall be developed in order to simulate the hydrodynamics of the
near-field (using a three-dimensional SPH model) and the flow in the
far-field (three depth-integrated models shall be developed). The
important cases of tsunami waves along a straight coast and around a
conical island will be studied in large scale physical models. In order
to provide a unified theoretical framework for the wave impulse two
analytical theories for wave generation, propagation and run-up will be
developed. Finally a feasibility study and a preliminary design of a
tsunami real-time warning system based on the Italian tidal network will
be carried out. It is finally believed that the results of the project
will be of interest to any authority dedicated to the management of
water environments such as the coastal regions, artificial reservoirs
and lakes. |
