Comparison of the effects of permeable, impermeable and monolithic vertical-face submerged breakwaters on tsunami run-up height

Abstract

Tsunamis are one of the most devastating coastal disasters, generated by mass water movements resulting from ground movements that can be triggered by earthquakes, submarine landslides and collapses. Various measures have been developed to reduce tsunami damage. One of the tsunami protections is submerged breakwaters. In this study we have analyzed the results of physical models to investigate the effects of different submerged breakwaters on tsunami run-up. In the experiments permeable, impermeable and monolithic vertical-face submerged breakwaters are used for different submergence depth and it is found that they reduce run-up heights by 21% - 43%, 19%- 37% and 28%- 59% respectively with respect to the case without submerged breakwater. It is also shown that the effect of submerged breakwaters on tsunami run-up depends upon the breakwater geometry.