Open AccessTsunami run‐up along the Zihuatanejo region, Mexican Pacific Coast: A modelling study
Author(s) -
ContrerasTereza Víctor Kevin,
SalasdeLeón David Alberto,
MonrealJiménez Rosalinda,
MonrealGómez María Adela
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of flood risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1753-318X
DOI - 10.1111/jfr3.12669
Subject(s) - epicenter , bay , flooding (psychology) , pacific ocean , geology , oceanography , seismology , west coast , geography , psychology , psychotherapist
A numerical hydrodynamic model was applied to Zihuatanejo Bay on the Mexican Coast of the Pacific Ocean to study the heights and arrival times of tsunamis produced by hypothetical 7.0 and 8.0 Mw magnitude earthquakes with epicenter in the Cocos Plate, at 16.9718°N–101.973°W, as well as the flooding of Zihuatanejo Town by the tsunamis. The travel times of the tsunamis to Zihuatanejo Coast are between 18 and 19 min, maximum sea surface elevations of 1 and 10 m at the coast are estimated following a 7.0 and 8.0 Mw earthquake respectively with a tsunami inland penetration up to 400 m in the second case affecting restaurants, hotels, banks, schools, businesses, museums, and even the municipal market of the town. Therefore, a densely populated area would be affected by a tsunami triggered by an 8.0 Mw earthquake.