. Earth Science News .
SHAKE AND BLOW
Study models Tsunami Risk for Florida and Cuba
by Staff Writers
Miami FL (SPX) Dec 16, 2016


This is a potential future landslide. Image courtesy Eberli and Schnyder - UM Rosensitel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Watch a video on the research here.

While the Caribbean is not thought to be at risk for tsunamis, a new study by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science indicates that large submarine landslides on the slopes of the Great Bahama Bank have generated tsunamis in the past and could potentially again in the future.

"Our study calls attention to the possibility that submarine landslides can trigger tsunami waves," said UM Rosenstiel School Ph.D. student Jara Schnyder, the lead author of the study. "The short distance from the slope failures to the coastlines of Florida and Cuba makes potential tsunamis low-probability but high-impact events that could be dangerous."

The team identified margin collapses and submarine landslides along the slopes of the western Great Bahama Bank - the largest of the carbonate platforms that make up the Bahamas archipelago - using multibeam bathymetry and seismic reflection data. These landslides are several kilometers long and their landslide mass can slide up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) into the basin.

An incipient failure scar of nearly 100 kilometers (70 miles) length was identified as a potential future landslide, which could be triggered by an earthquake that occasionally occur off the coast of Cuba.

Using the mathematical models commonly used to evaluate tsunami potential in the U.S., the researchers then simulated the tsunami waves for multiple scenarios of submarine landslides originating off the Great Bahama Bank to find that submarine landslides and margin collapses in the region could generate dangerous ocean currents and possibly hazardous tsunami waves several meters high along the east coast of Florida and northern Cuba.

"Residents in these areas should be aware that tsunamis do not necessarily have to be created by large earthquakes, but can also be generated by submarine landslides that can be triggered by smaller earthquakes," said UM Rosenstiel School Professor of Marine Geosciences Gregor Eberli, senior author of the study.

The study, titled "Tsunamis caused by submarine slope failures along western Great Bahama Bank," was published in the Nov. 4 issue of the journal Scientific Reports.

The paper's co-authors include: Jara S.D. Schnyder, Gregor P. Eberli of the CSL-Miami, James T. Kirby, Fengyan Shi, and Babak Tehranirad of the University of Delaware, Thierry Mulder and Emmanuelle Ducassou of the Universite de Bordeaux in France, and Dierk Hebbeln and Paul Wintersteller of the University of Bremen in Germany.


Comment on this article using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest






Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
SHAKE AND BLOW
The sea roils and life returns
Kyoto, Japan (SPX) Dec 13, 2016
The tsunami of 2011 is well remembered in Japan. Some towns have recovered, while others struggle to return to a life that once was. The same is true for ecosystems. In a new study in PLOS ONE, Japanese researchers report how the sea life in different coastal regions of Japan struck by the tsunami have flourished or faltered. "We watched in real time an ecosystem recover from a large natur ... read more


SHAKE AND BLOW
Sawdust reinvented into super sponge for oil spills

China arrests 18 over fatal October blast

Canada buys new Airbus search and rescue planes for Can$2.4 bn

Urgent appeal for supplies after strong Indonesia quake

SHAKE AND BLOW
Supercomputer simulation reveals 2-D glass can go infinitely soft

Decoding cement's shape promises greener concrete

Japan launches 'space junk' collector

Teaching an old satellite new tricks

SHAKE AND BLOW
Fishery bycatch rapidly driving Mexico's vaquita to extinction

Water: Finding the normal within the weird

How does water melt? Layer by layer

2016 see mixed results for ocean health

SHAKE AND BLOW
Global warming is melting mountain glaciers: study

Hottest Arctic on record triggers massive ice melt

Climate change likely caused deadly 2016 avalanche in Tibet

Most of Greenland ice melted to bedrock in recent geologic past

SHAKE AND BLOW
Soil pHertility mapped across the world

S. Korea expands cull to contain bird flu

Switchgrass may be a good option for farmers who have lost fertile topsoil

Researchers use nuclear methods to study pest-resistance in corn

SHAKE AND BLOW
84,000 people displaced by Indonesia earthquake: official

Cyclone kills 10 in south India's tech hub

The sea roils and life returns

Two die as cyclone hits coastal India

SHAKE AND BLOW
Mobile money lifts Kenyan households out of poverty

Mali rivals must stick to peace deal: French minister

Fidel Castro's military forays in Africa

US seeks UN arms embargo against South Sudan

SHAKE AND BLOW
Neurons paralyze us during REM sleep

Neanderthals visited seaside cave in England for 180,000 years

Sex of prehistoric hand-stencil artists can be determined forensic analysis

Secrets of the paleo diet









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.