Tsunami boulder transport in coastal environments: insights from physical experiments and dimensional analysis

Abstract

Coastal boulder deposits hold the potential to aid in the reconstruction of past extreme wave events. However, commonly used hydrodynamic equations for calculating wave heights from transported boulders can be inaccurate. New and alternative methods need to be explored in an interdisciplinary way to ensure a more complete picture of the phenomenon of boulder transport is achieved. Through the use of a physical experiment, this study aims to investigate the influence of different tsunami wave types, wave parameters and boulder shapes on boulder transport distance. The experimental results also allow for a novel application of dimensional analysis to enable comparisons with other experiments as well as a field case study. In the experiment an elongate irregularly shaped boulder showed transport distances up to 1 m farther than a cuboid shaped boulder under the influence of the same waves. The irregularly shaped boulder had a predominant transport mode of rolling, whereas the cuboid shaped boulder predominantly underwent sliding transport. Tsunami wave type also influenced boulder transport distances, with N-waves frequently showing greater transport than E-waves of a comparable wave steepness. Key offshore wave and boulder parameters were then compared through dimensional analysis using Buckingham's Pi Theorem, enabling comparisons to other datasets to be made. Data from another published experimental study and a field study in Settai, Japan, showed reasonable agreement, particularly for the shorter period field data. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating boulder shape, wave type, and dimensional analysis into future studies, providing a foundation for more accurate reconstructions of past tsunami events.