Anatomy of Strike Slip Fault Tsunami-genesis

Tsunami generation from earthquake induced seafloor deformations has long been recognized as a major hazard to coastal areas. Strike—slip faulting has generally been believed as insufficient for triggering large tsunamis, except through the generation of submarine landslides. Herein, we demonstrate that ground motions due to strike–slip earthquakes can contribute to the emergence of large tsunamis (>1m) underrather generic conditions. To this end, we have developed a computational framework that integrates models for earthquake rupture dynamics with models of tsunami generation and propagation. The three-dimensional time-dependent vertical and horizontal ground motions from spontaneous dynamic rupture models are used to drive boundary motions in the tsunami model. Our results suggest that super shearruptures propagating along strike–slip faults, traversing narrow and shallow bays are prime candidates for tsunami generation. We show that dynamic focusing and the large horizontal displacements, characteristic of strike-slip earthquakes on long faults, are critical drivers for the tsunami hazard. These findings point to intrinsic mechanisms for sizeable tsunami generation by strike–slip faulting, which do not require complex seismic sources, landslides, or complicated bathymetry. Furthermore, our model identifies three distinct phases in the tsunamic motion; an instantaneous dynamic phase, a lagging coseismic and a classical postseismic phase, each of which may affect coastal areas differently. We conclude that near-source tsunami hazards and risk from strike-slip faulting need to be re–evaluated