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Simulation of tsunamis induced by volcanic activity in the Gulf of Naples (Italy)
Language
English
Obiettivo Specifico
3.1. Fisica dei terremoti
3.3. Geodinamica e struttura dell'interno della Terra
Status
Published
JCR Journal
JCR Journal
Peer review journal
Yes
Title of the book
Issue/vol(year)
/3(2003)
Publisher
European Geosciences Union
Pages (printed)
311-320
Issued date
2003
Abstract
The paper explores the potential of tsunami generation
by pyroclastic flows travelling down the flank of the
volcano Vesuvius that is found south of Naples in Italy. The
eruption history of Vesuvius shows that it is characterised by
large explosive eruptions of plinian or subplinian type during
which large volume of pyroclastic flows can be produced.
The most remarkable examples of such eruptions occurred in
79 AD and in 1631 and were catastrophic. Presently Vesuvius
is in a repose time that, according to volcanologists,
could be interrupted by a large eruption, and consequently
proper plans of preparedness and emergency management
have been devised by civil authorities based on a scenario
envisaging a large eruption. Recently, numerical models of
magma ascent and of eruptive column formation and collapse
have been published for the Vesuvius volcano, and propagation
of pyroclastic flows down the slope of the volcanic
edifice up to the close shoreline have been computed. These
flows can reach the sea in the Gulf of Naples: the denser slow
part will enter the waters, while the lighter and faster part of
the flow can travel on the water surface exerting a pressure on
it. This paper studies the tsunami produced by the pressure
pulse associated with the transit of the low-density phase of
the pyroclastic flow on the sea surface by means of numerical
simulations. The study is divided into two parts. First
the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Gulf of Naples as
regards the propagation of long waves are analysed by studying
the waves radiating from a source that is a static initial
depression of the sea level localised within the gulf. Then
the tsunami produced by a pressure pulse moving from the
Vesuvius toward the open sea is simulated: the forcing pulse
features are derived from the recent studies on Vesuvian pyroclastic
flows in the literature. The tsunami resulting from
the computations is a perturbation involving the whole Gulf
of Naples, but it is negligible outside, and persists within the
gulf long after the transit of the excitation pulse. The size of
the tsunami is modest. The largest calculated oscillations are
found along the innermost coasts of the gulf at Naples and at Castellammare. The main conclusion of the study is that the
light component of the pyroclastic flows produced by future
large eruptions of Vesuvius are not expected to set up catastrophic
tsunamis.
by pyroclastic flows travelling down the flank of the
volcano Vesuvius that is found south of Naples in Italy. The
eruption history of Vesuvius shows that it is characterised by
large explosive eruptions of plinian or subplinian type during
which large volume of pyroclastic flows can be produced.
The most remarkable examples of such eruptions occurred in
79 AD and in 1631 and were catastrophic. Presently Vesuvius
is in a repose time that, according to volcanologists,
could be interrupted by a large eruption, and consequently
proper plans of preparedness and emergency management
have been devised by civil authorities based on a scenario
envisaging a large eruption. Recently, numerical models of
magma ascent and of eruptive column formation and collapse
have been published for the Vesuvius volcano, and propagation
of pyroclastic flows down the slope of the volcanic
edifice up to the close shoreline have been computed. These
flows can reach the sea in the Gulf of Naples: the denser slow
part will enter the waters, while the lighter and faster part of
the flow can travel on the water surface exerting a pressure on
it. This paper studies the tsunami produced by the pressure
pulse associated with the transit of the low-density phase of
the pyroclastic flow on the sea surface by means of numerical
simulations. The study is divided into two parts. First
the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Gulf of Naples as
regards the propagation of long waves are analysed by studying
the waves radiating from a source that is a static initial
depression of the sea level localised within the gulf. Then
the tsunami produced by a pressure pulse moving from the
Vesuvius toward the open sea is simulated: the forcing pulse
features are derived from the recent studies on Vesuvian pyroclastic
flows in the literature. The tsunami resulting from
the computations is a perturbation involving the whole Gulf
of Naples, but it is negligible outside, and persists within the
gulf long after the transit of the excitation pulse. The size of
the tsunami is modest. The largest calculated oscillations are
found along the innermost coasts of the gulf at Naples and at Castellammare. The main conclusion of the study is that the
light component of the pyroclastic flows produced by future
large eruptions of Vesuvius are not expected to set up catastrophic
tsunamis.
References
Anonymous: Relazione dell’incendio del Vesuvio del 1631, in:
“Documenti inediti”, edited by Riccio L., Giannini e Figli,
Napoli, 1889, 513–521 (in Italian), 1631.
Barberi, F., Macedonio, G., Pareschi, M. T., and Santacroce, R.:
Mapping the tephra fallout risk: an example from Vesuvius
(Italy), Nature, 344, 142–144, 1991.
Baxter, P. J., Neri, A., and Todesco, M.: Physical modelling and
human survival in pyroclastic flows, Natural Hazards, 17, 163–
176, 1998.
Braccini, G. C.: Dell’incendio fattosi sul Vesuvio a XVI Dicembre
MDCXXXI e delle sue cause ed effetti, con la narrazione di
quanto `e seguito in esso per tutto marzo 1632 e con la storia di
tutti gli altri incendi, nel medesimo monte avvenuti, Secondino
Roncagliolo, Napoli, 104 pp., (in Italian), 1631.
Cas, R. and Wright, J. V.: Subacqueous pyroclastic flows ignimbrites:
an assessment, Bull. Volcanol., 53, 357–380, 1991.
Cioni, R., Gurioli, L., Sbrana, A., and Vougioukalakis: Precursory
phenomena and destructive events related to the Bronze Age Minoan
(There, Greece) and the A.D. 79 (Vesuvius, Italy) Plinian
eruptions; inferences from the stratigraphy in the archaeological
areas, in: “The archaeology of geological catastrophes”, Geol.
Soc. London Spec. Publ 171, 123–141, 2000.
De Lange, W. P., Prasetya, G. S., and Healy, T. R.: Modelling of
tsunamis generated by pyroclastic flows (ignimbrites), Natural
Hazards, 24, 251–266, 2001.
Dobran, F.: Nonequilibrium flow in volcanic conduits and applications
to the eruptions of Mt.St.Helens on 18 May 1980 and
Vesuvius in AD 79, J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 49, 285–311,
1992.
Dobran, F., Neri, A., and Todesco, M.: Assessing pyroclastic flow
hazard at Vesuvius, Nature, 367, 551–554, 1994.
DPC: Pianificazione territoriale di emergenza dell’area Vesuviana,
Dipartimento di Protezione Civile Report, Rome (in Italian),
1995.
Esposti Ongaro, T., Neri, A., Todesco, M., and Macedonio, G.: Pyroclastic
flow hazard assessment at Vesuvius (Italy) by using numerical
modeling. II. Analysis of flow variables, Bull Volcanol,
64, 178–191, 2002.
Giuliani, G.: Trattato del Monte Vesuvio e de’ suoi incendii, Egidio
Longo, Napoli, 254 pp., (in Italian), 1632.
Latter, J. H.: Tsunamis of volcanic origin: summary of causes, with
particular reference to Krakatoa, 1883, Bull. Volcanol., 44, 468–
490, 1881.
Mormile, G.: L’incendio del Monte Vesuvio, e delle straggi, e
rovine, che ha fatto ne’ tempi antichi e moderni, infine a 3 di
marzo 1632, con nota di tutte le relazioni stampate fino ad oggi
del Vesuvio, raccolte da Vincenzo Bove, Egidio Longo, Napoli,
48 pp., (In Italian), 1632.
Neri, A. and Macedonio, G.: Numerical simulation of collapsing
volcanic columns with particles of two sizes, J. Geophys. Res.,
101, 8153–8174, 1996.
Newhall, C. F. and Self, S.: The volcanic explosivity index (VEI ):
an estimate of explosive magnitude for historical eruptions, J.
Geophys. Res., 87, 1231–1238, 1982.
Pareschi, M. T., Favalli, M., Giannini, F., Sulpizio, R., Zanchetta,
G., and Santacroce, R.: 5 May 1998 debris flows in circum-
Vesuviuan areas (southern Italy): insights for hazard assessment,
Geology, 28, 639–642, 2000.
Rosi, M., Santacroce, R., and Sheridan, M. F.: Volcanic Hazard, in:
“Somma-Vesuvius”, edited by Santacroce R., Progetto Finalizzato
Geodinamica, Quaderni de “La Ricerca Scientifica”, CNR,
Rome, 8, 197–220, 1987.
Rosi, M., Principe, C., and Vecci, R.: The 1631 Vesuvius eruption.
A reconstruction based on historical and stratigraphical data, J.
Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 58, 151–182, 1993.
Scandone, R., Giacomelli, L., and Gasparini, P.: Mount Vesuvius:
2000 years of volcanololgical observations, J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res., 58, 5–25, 1993.
Self, S. and Rampino, M. R.: The 1883 eruption of Krakatau, Nature,
294, 699–704, 1981.
Self, S., Rampino, M. R., Newton, M. S., and Wolff, J. A.: Volcanological
study of the great Tambora eruption of 1815, Geology,
12, 659–663, 1984.
Stothers, R. B.: The great Tambora eruption in 1815 and its
aftermath, Science, 224, 1191–1198, 1984.
Tinti, S. and Saraceno, A.: Tsunamis related to volcanic activity in
Italy, in: “Tsunamis in the world”, edited by Tinti S., Advances in
Natural and Technological Hazards Research, Kluwer Academic
Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1, 43-63, 1993.
Tinti, S., Gavagni, I., and Piatanesi. A.: A finite-element numerical
approach for modelling tsunamis, Annali di Geofisica, 37, 1009–
1026, 1994.
Tinti, S. and Gavagni, I.: A method for reducing the propagation
noise in FE modeling of tsunamis, Science of Tsunami Hazards,
12, 77–92, 1994.
Tinti, S. and Maramai, A.: Catalogue of tsunamis generated in Italy
and in Cˆote d’Azur, France: a step towards a unified catalogue of
tsunamis in Europe, Annali di Geofisica (Errata Corrige, Annali
di Geofisica, 40, 781) 39, 1253–1299, 1996.
Tinti, S. and Bortolucci, E.: Strategies of optimal grid generation
for finite-element tsunami models, Proc. International Conference
on Tsunamis, Paris, 26–28 May 1998, 269–294, 1999.
Tinti, S. and Bortolucci, E.: Analytical investigation on tsunamis
generated by submarine slides, Annali di Geofisica, 43, 519–536,
2000.
Tinti, S., Bortolucci, E., and Romagnoli, C.: Computer simulations
of tsunamis due to flank collapse at Stromboli, Italy, J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res., 96, 103–128, 2000.
Tinti, S., Bortolucci, E., and Chiavettieri, C.: Tsunami excitation by
submarine slides in shallow-water approximation, Pure Applied
Geophysics, 158, 759–797, 2001.
Todesco, M., Neri, A., Esposti Ongaro, T., Papale, P., Macedonio,
G., Santacroce, R., and Longo, A.: Pyroclastic flow hazard
assessment at Vesuvius (Italy) by using numerical modeling. I.
Large-scale dynamics, Bull. Volcanol., 64, 155–177, 2002.
“Documenti inediti”, edited by Riccio L., Giannini e Figli,
Napoli, 1889, 513–521 (in Italian), 1631.
Barberi, F., Macedonio, G., Pareschi, M. T., and Santacroce, R.:
Mapping the tephra fallout risk: an example from Vesuvius
(Italy), Nature, 344, 142–144, 1991.
Baxter, P. J., Neri, A., and Todesco, M.: Physical modelling and
human survival in pyroclastic flows, Natural Hazards, 17, 163–
176, 1998.
Braccini, G. C.: Dell’incendio fattosi sul Vesuvio a XVI Dicembre
MDCXXXI e delle sue cause ed effetti, con la narrazione di
quanto `e seguito in esso per tutto marzo 1632 e con la storia di
tutti gli altri incendi, nel medesimo monte avvenuti, Secondino
Roncagliolo, Napoli, 104 pp., (in Italian), 1631.
Cas, R. and Wright, J. V.: Subacqueous pyroclastic flows ignimbrites:
an assessment, Bull. Volcanol., 53, 357–380, 1991.
Cioni, R., Gurioli, L., Sbrana, A., and Vougioukalakis: Precursory
phenomena and destructive events related to the Bronze Age Minoan
(There, Greece) and the A.D. 79 (Vesuvius, Italy) Plinian
eruptions; inferences from the stratigraphy in the archaeological
areas, in: “The archaeology of geological catastrophes”, Geol.
Soc. London Spec. Publ 171, 123–141, 2000.
De Lange, W. P., Prasetya, G. S., and Healy, T. R.: Modelling of
tsunamis generated by pyroclastic flows (ignimbrites), Natural
Hazards, 24, 251–266, 2001.
Dobran, F.: Nonequilibrium flow in volcanic conduits and applications
to the eruptions of Mt.St.Helens on 18 May 1980 and
Vesuvius in AD 79, J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 49, 285–311,
1992.
Dobran, F., Neri, A., and Todesco, M.: Assessing pyroclastic flow
hazard at Vesuvius, Nature, 367, 551–554, 1994.
DPC: Pianificazione territoriale di emergenza dell’area Vesuviana,
Dipartimento di Protezione Civile Report, Rome (in Italian),
1995.
Esposti Ongaro, T., Neri, A., Todesco, M., and Macedonio, G.: Pyroclastic
flow hazard assessment at Vesuvius (Italy) by using numerical
modeling. II. Analysis of flow variables, Bull Volcanol,
64, 178–191, 2002.
Giuliani, G.: Trattato del Monte Vesuvio e de’ suoi incendii, Egidio
Longo, Napoli, 254 pp., (in Italian), 1632.
Latter, J. H.: Tsunamis of volcanic origin: summary of causes, with
particular reference to Krakatoa, 1883, Bull. Volcanol., 44, 468–
490, 1881.
Mormile, G.: L’incendio del Monte Vesuvio, e delle straggi, e
rovine, che ha fatto ne’ tempi antichi e moderni, infine a 3 di
marzo 1632, con nota di tutte le relazioni stampate fino ad oggi
del Vesuvio, raccolte da Vincenzo Bove, Egidio Longo, Napoli,
48 pp., (In Italian), 1632.
Neri, A. and Macedonio, G.: Numerical simulation of collapsing
volcanic columns with particles of two sizes, J. Geophys. Res.,
101, 8153–8174, 1996.
Newhall, C. F. and Self, S.: The volcanic explosivity index (VEI ):
an estimate of explosive magnitude for historical eruptions, J.
Geophys. Res., 87, 1231–1238, 1982.
Pareschi, M. T., Favalli, M., Giannini, F., Sulpizio, R., Zanchetta,
G., and Santacroce, R.: 5 May 1998 debris flows in circum-
Vesuviuan areas (southern Italy): insights for hazard assessment,
Geology, 28, 639–642, 2000.
Rosi, M., Santacroce, R., and Sheridan, M. F.: Volcanic Hazard, in:
“Somma-Vesuvius”, edited by Santacroce R., Progetto Finalizzato
Geodinamica, Quaderni de “La Ricerca Scientifica”, CNR,
Rome, 8, 197–220, 1987.
Rosi, M., Principe, C., and Vecci, R.: The 1631 Vesuvius eruption.
A reconstruction based on historical and stratigraphical data, J.
Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 58, 151–182, 1993.
Scandone, R., Giacomelli, L., and Gasparini, P.: Mount Vesuvius:
2000 years of volcanololgical observations, J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res., 58, 5–25, 1993.
Self, S. and Rampino, M. R.: The 1883 eruption of Krakatau, Nature,
294, 699–704, 1981.
Self, S., Rampino, M. R., Newton, M. S., and Wolff, J. A.: Volcanological
study of the great Tambora eruption of 1815, Geology,
12, 659–663, 1984.
Stothers, R. B.: The great Tambora eruption in 1815 and its
aftermath, Science, 224, 1191–1198, 1984.
Tinti, S. and Saraceno, A.: Tsunamis related to volcanic activity in
Italy, in: “Tsunamis in the world”, edited by Tinti S., Advances in
Natural and Technological Hazards Research, Kluwer Academic
Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1, 43-63, 1993.
Tinti, S., Gavagni, I., and Piatanesi. A.: A finite-element numerical
approach for modelling tsunamis, Annali di Geofisica, 37, 1009–
1026, 1994.
Tinti, S. and Gavagni, I.: A method for reducing the propagation
noise in FE modeling of tsunamis, Science of Tsunami Hazards,
12, 77–92, 1994.
Tinti, S. and Maramai, A.: Catalogue of tsunamis generated in Italy
and in Cˆote d’Azur, France: a step towards a unified catalogue of
tsunamis in Europe, Annali di Geofisica (Errata Corrige, Annali
di Geofisica, 40, 781) 39, 1253–1299, 1996.
Tinti, S. and Bortolucci, E.: Strategies of optimal grid generation
for finite-element tsunami models, Proc. International Conference
on Tsunamis, Paris, 26–28 May 1998, 269–294, 1999.
Tinti, S. and Bortolucci, E.: Analytical investigation on tsunamis
generated by submarine slides, Annali di Geofisica, 43, 519–536,
2000.
Tinti, S., Bortolucci, E., and Romagnoli, C.: Computer simulations
of tsunamis due to flank collapse at Stromboli, Italy, J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res., 96, 103–128, 2000.
Tinti, S., Bortolucci, E., and Chiavettieri, C.: Tsunami excitation by
submarine slides in shallow-water approximation, Pure Applied
Geophysics, 158, 759–797, 2001.
Todesco, M., Neri, A., Esposti Ongaro, T., Papale, P., Macedonio,
G., Santacroce, R., and Longo, A.: Pyroclastic flow hazard
assessment at Vesuvius (Italy) by using numerical modeling. I.
Large-scale dynamics, Bull. Volcanol., 64, 155–177, 2002.
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