A preliminary tsunami hazard assessment of the Canadian coastline, Geological Survey of Canada Open File, 7201

• Main Authors: Leonard, L. J., Rogers, G. C., Mazzotti, Stephane
• Other Authors: Risques, Geological Survey of Canada Sidney - Vancouver (GSC Pacific), Geological Survey of Canada - Office (GSC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)-Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)-Geological Survey of Canada - Office (GSC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)-Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Géosciences Montpellier, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: environmental geology; marine geology; extraterrestrial geology; tsunami; health hazards; tidal wave; surface wave studies; coastal studies; coastal environment; shorelines; landslides; landslide deposits; slope failures; slope stability; geological hazards; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; Arctic; Canada; Pacific
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00856677; https://doi.org/10.4095/292067

Report The Canadian coastline is the longest of any country in the world, and is at risk from tsunamis generated in three oceans. The current state of knowledge precludes a complete probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment, which would require quantification of a wide range of possible scenarios for each tsunami source, coupled with modelling that incorporates fine-resolution bathymetry and onland topography to adequately assess potential runup at the coast. This preliminary assessment presents a first attempt to quantify the tsunami hazard on the Canadian Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coastlines from local and far-field, earthquake and large landslide sources. For each source considered, we calculate the probability that tsunami runup at the coast will exceed 1.5 m (threshold for potential damage) and 3 m (significant damage potential), in a 50-year period. For each coastal region, we then combine the relative hazard from each source to calculate the overall probability that the coastline in question will experience tsunami runup exceeding 1.5 m (and 3 m) within a 50-year period, from any geological source. We also consider the maximum runup levels expected to occur within time periods of 100, 500, 1000, and 2500 years.