An international team of scientists, including Russian researchers, has uncovered new data on tsunami wave propagation. These findings are expected to significantly enhance early warning systems for tsunamis along Russia`s Sea of Japan coast, thereby helping to mitigate potential damage from these natural disasters. This information was reported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF).
Tsunamis are recognized as one of the most destructive natural phenomena, causing substantial economic damage and posing a severe threat to the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people.
Researchers from the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), and the University of Bath (UK) conducted a series of in-depth studies focusing on the 2024 tsunami in the Sea of Japan.
In the initial phase of the study, scientists thoroughly analyzed the propagation of the tsunami wave in the northern part of the Sea of Japan. This analysis utilized data collected from Russian and Japanese coastal stations, as well as bottom pressure sensors.
It was found that wave heights varied significantly depending on local topography. While waves in the open sea did not exceed 15 centimeters, they reached 65 centimeters in the port of Kholmsk on Sakhalin due to resonant amplification. This phenomenon is attributed to the V-shaped form of the Tatar Strait, which amplifies long waves, along with amplification effects observed in specific bays.
Subsequently, researchers numerically modeled the generation and propagation of tsunami waves following the January 2024 earthquake, focusing on the southern and central parts of the Sea of Japan. The modeling revealed that the Yamato submarine rise acts as a natural barrier, effectively reducing wave heights off the Primorye coast.
In a new study, the scientific group analyzed sea-level fluctuations caused by Typhoons Maysak and Haishen in 2020. Data from sea-level measurement stations on the western coast of the Sea of Japan, the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, and the Korean island of Ulleungdo were used for this analysis. The results revealed significant differences in wave characteristics between typhoons and tsunamis: typhoons generate broadband waves with short periods (less than 10 minutes), whereas tsunamis produce dome-shaped waves with longer periods (6 to 40 minutes).
“The information obtained enhances our understanding of how local features, such as coastal and seabed topography, influence the propagation and intensity of seismically induced waves. This will enable us to more accurately identify settlements along Russia`s Sea of Japan coast that are most vulnerable to tsunami threats,” explained Igor Medvedev, head of the S.L. Solovyov Tsunami Laboratory at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Moving forward, researchers plan to conduct a detailed zoning of tsunami risks for Russia`s Sea of Japan coast. This will allow for the assessment of maximum wave heights based on varying recurrence intervals. These findings will, in turn, significantly improve the operational speed and accuracy of forecasting potential natural disasters in coastal areas.
The results of these studies, supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), have been published in the scientific journal Ocean Engineering.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth