Earthquake-generated tsunamis near the Africa-Eurasia collision zone: cases studies for tsunami hazard evaluation in the Mediterranean Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean

• Main Author: Roger, Jean
• Other Authors: École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI, Pierre Briole([e-mail])
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: seismic source; numerical modelling; hazard; vulnerability; Mediterranean; Atlantic; historical seismicity; bathymetry; tsunami; source sismique; modélisation numérique; risque; Méditerranée; Atlantique; Antilles; sismicité historique; bathymétrie; résonance; [SDU.STU.GP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://theses.hal.science/tel-00588880; https://theses.hal.science/tel-00588880/document; https://theses.hal.science/tel-00588880/file/JRoger_These_2011_UPMC.pdf

The main objective of this thesis is to improve the knowledge of tsunami hazard in Western Mediterranean and Northern Atlantic. It focusses on earthquake-generated tsunamis which present the advantage to be preceded by a useful precursor for the warning, that can be felt by the population: the earthquake. Two types of studies are presented, using numerical modelling. It allows to built maximum wave height maps for each scenario, determine arrival times, inundation zones and study resonance phenomenon. The first studies concern the tsunami impact induced by seismic sources (rupture parameters) proposed by previous studies (the 1755 tsunami in the West Indies or in Newfoundland and the 2003 tsunami of Zemmouri in Southern France). The second studies concern the determination of rupture scenarios able to trigger tsunamis, with respect to the geology (seismicity, focal mechanisms, GPS measurements, surface fault ruptures, etc.) and the available maregraphic data (wave heights, arrival times, periods) and field surveys data (run-up distance and elevation, destructions). Concerning this last point, the studies considered the Jijel (1856), El Asnam (1980) and Dover Strait (1580) tsunamis. These studies have been done following historical documents and tsunami deposits search, using numerical modeling with a finite difference method for tsunami propagation calculations. L'objectif principal de cette thèse est d'approfondir les connaissances en terme d'aléa tsunami en Méditerranée occidental et Atlantique nord. Elle se concentre sur des tsunamis d'origine sismique qui présentent l'avantage d'être précédés d'un précurseur utile pour déclencher l'alerte, car pouvant être ressenti par la population : le séisme. Deux types d'études sont présentés. Elles ont été effectuées sur la base de recherches de documents historiques et/ou de dépôts sédimentaires, en utilisant ensuite la modélisation numérique mettant en application une méthode de calcul de propagation de tsunami par différences finies. La modélisation permet de ...