Foreword

Preface: An introduction to palaeo-tsunami research

Mastronuzzi, G.; Brückner, H.; Sansò, P.; Vött, A.

Abstract

The vulnerability of coastal areas against natural hazards has dramatically increased during the past decades due to the rapid and large-scale expansion of human activities in coastal regions all over the world. This is especially true for high magnitude/low frequency events, such as tsunamis and exceptional storms. Moreover, Global Climate Change will make areas in which extreme events were uncommon in the past prone to destructive high-energy coastal dynamics (e. g. Emanuel 2005, Gianfreda et al. 2005, Beck et al. 2007, Fita et al. 2007 and references therein). Recent floodings such as in the Philippines (2004), Lousiana (2005), Bangladesh (2007), and Myanmar (2008) remind us that coasts, both in the poor and in the rich parts of our globe, are vulnerable interfaces between land and sea, much stronger exposed to natural risks than most inland parts of the world. The giant tsunami that occurred on December 26th, 2004 was the largest ever seen; maybe it was the most horrific and deadly natural coastal event in human history. More than 230,000 were killed in Indonesia, Thailand, and other countries in Asia and Africa facing the Indian Ocean. Large coastal areas were completely flooded, strongly modified or even destroyed (e. g. Szczuciński et al. 2005, Kelletat et al. 2006, 2007, Lavigne et al. 2006, Richmond et al. 2006, Umitsu et al. 2007, Paris et al. 2007, 2009, Srinivasalu et al. 2007). Tsunami waves also caused tremendous damage of infrastructure facilities and the environment (e. g. Gunatillake 2007), producing economic, social and politic changes (e. g. Clark 2006, Sukma 2006, Gaillard et al. 2008 and references therein). Only recently, on September 30, 2009, a strong earthquake and an associated tsunami hit the southwestern Pacific around Samoa and caused dozens of casualties; also in this example, people from lower social levels were affected harder than other social groups. In many cases, the causes for the incredibly long list of dead persons seems to be related to a general lack of knowledge on how tsunamis are generated, how fast and in which way they may reach the coast and also to the absence of any kind of risk mitigation and safety measures.

Keywords

coastal areas • tsunami • flood • earthquake • Philippines • Myanmar • Bangladesh