Mega-ship-generated tsunami: A field observation in Tampa Bay, Florida

Ping Wang, Jun Cheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The displacement of a large amount of water in a moderate-sized estuary by a fast-moving mega-ship can generate tsunami-like waves. Such waves, generated by cruise ships, were observed in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. Two distinct, long tsunami-like waves were measured, which were associated with the passage of a large cruise ship. The first wave had a period of 5.4 min and a height of 0.40 m near the shoreline. The second wave had a period of 2.5 min and was 0.23 m high. The peak velocity of the onshore flow during the second wave reached 0.65 m/s. The shorter, second wave propagated considerably faster than the first wave in the breaking zone. The measured wave celerity was less than 50% of the calculated values, using the shallow water approximation of the dispersion equation, suggesting that nonlinear effects play an important role. A fundamental similarity among the generation of tsunamis, as induced by mega-ships, landslides or earthquakes, is a process that causes a vertical velocity at the sea surface, where a freely propagating wave is produced. This mega-ship-generated tsunami provides a prototype field laboratory for systematically studying tsunami dynamics, particularly the strong turbulent flows associated with the breaking of a tsunami wave in the nearshore, and tsunami–land interactions. It also provides a realistic demonstration for public education, which is essential for the preparation and management of this unpreventable hazard.

Original languageEnglish
Article number437
JournalJournal of Marine Science and Engineering
Volume9
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2021

Keywords

  • Estuary
  • Long waves
  • Nearshore hydrodynamics
  • Prototype laboratory
  • Ship wake

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