Development of Hazard Map with Probable Maximum Tsunamis

Abstract

The disaster prevention against unexpected tsunami events has attracted much attention due to huge casualties resulting from the Sumatra Tsunami on December 26, 2004 in Indonesia and the East Japan Tsunami on March 11, 2011 in Japan. Research on how to mitigate the damage by unexpected tsunami events should be completed, because of the significant number of human deaths and property damage from these events. An effective and economic way for the tsunami hazard mitigation planning is to develop a hazard map along those coastlines vulnerable to tsunami events. In order to create a hazard map for unexpected tsunami events, numerical modelling for several tsunami events should be carried out. The Eastern Coast of the Korean Peninsula is vulnerable to tsunami events generated the Western Coast of Japan. In 1983, the Central East Sea Tsunami caused 3 fatalities and property damage. Furthermore, several nuclear power plants are now under operation and several more are scheduled to be constructed. Thus, a tsunami hazard map should be made based on the probable maximum tsunami events. The developed hazard map could be used by the civil defence organizations to make evacuation plans in the real tsunami event.