Historical records: their importance in understanding and mitigating tsunamis

Abstract

Abstract There is evidence that the tsunami as a destructive natural phenomenon has been known since antiquity. Although rare, tsunamis can affect densely populated areas, provoking heavy destruction and extensive casualties. A deep knowledge of their characteristics, such as generation mechanism, propagation, and effects is fundamental to assess the tsunami hazard of a region. Therefore, as for all natural events, also for tsunamis the observation and analysis of past occurrences is the basis of understanding the phenomenon. The study of historical tsunami records is the first step for hazard evaluation and for the calibration and validation of numerical models aimed at tsunami mitigation. This work wishes to emphasize the importance and limitations of historical data and catalogue in tsunami hazard assessment and to underline problems related to the critical interpretation and evaluation of historical sources.