An Integrated Tsunami Research and Information System: Application for Mapping of Tsunami Hazard and Risk Assessment

The Integrated Tsunami Research and Information System (ITRIS) has been developed and is being maintained at the Novosibirsk Tsunami Laboratory (NTL) as a joint project with the World Agency for Planetary Monitoring and Earthquake Risk Reduction (WAPMERR). The concept of the ITRIS is based on the integration of historical data, numerical models, processing and analyzing tools along with supporting mapping software. These components are embedded inside a specially developed GIS-type graphic shell for easy data retrieval, visualization and processing. The shell operates on Windows PC platforms with no additional co-located software required. The current version of the built-in tsunami database covers the period from 2000 B.C. to present time and contains 2250 entries in the event catalog and almost 9500 run-up heights. The set of the built-in numerical models includes a subroutine for fast calculation of Tsunami Travel Time (TTT) charts and numerical code for calculation of tsunami generation and propagation in an ocean with a real bathymetry within non-linear shallow water model. The approach to the long-term tsunami hazard assessment, implemented in the ITRIS software, is based on the statistical analysis of historical run-up observations. For a particular coastal area, this type of analysis can be interactively made using a special pop-up menu and dialog windows. For areas that are not provided with sufficient number of historical data, another, so called, scenario approach can be used. It is based on application of numerical models for calculation of synthetic tsunami catalog for pre-established set of earthquake models with parameters derived from analysis of seismotectonic features of the area under study.