Analysis of Tsunami Tide Gauge Records Following the 2016 Ecuadorian Earthquake and Tsunami
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 2
Abstract
The devastating April 16, 2016, Pedernales, Ecuador, Mw 7.8 earthquake was among a sequence of ruptures that occurred along the seismically segmented North Andean subduction zone. It caused 700 fatalities, and more than 7,000 people were injured. The magnitude and location of it were similar to those of the May 14, 1942, earthquake, relaxing some of the strain accumulation that had built up over more than 74 years. A weak tsunami was detected in four nearby tide gauges. Analysis of the records provides useful information on the earthquake and tsunami. An estimate of 6.5 cm of coseismic subsidence was reported at the Bahía de Caráquez and Manta locations, while no movement was detected at Esmeraldas and La Libertad. The analysis also supports the existence of two major seismic asperities and a weaker one farther south. A tsunami resonance occurred at the Bay of Salinas, the location of La Libertad, even though the bay is very wide. It was fortunate that it was inconsequential, this time, because the incoming wave was substantially dissipated.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge with thanks the constant support of the French Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and the Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada de Ecuador (INOCAR). This work was supported by the French Agence Nationale Pour la Recherche (ANR) through Grant ANR-15-CE04-004 REMAKE. They also thank the Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT), Ecuador, for granting the work of G. Solis Gordillo. Finally, the authors acknowledge with thanks the comments and suggestions of one anonymous reviewer who contributed to the substantial improvement of the first draft of this manuscript.
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Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 2 • March 2018
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 26, 2016
Accepted: Aug 21, 2017
Published online: Nov 28, 2017
Published in print: Mar 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Apr 28, 2018
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