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Scientists at Cardiff University have developed a fast-classifying system for submarine earthquakes that can promptly assess the risk of tsunami occurrences.
Using cutting-edge acoustic technology and artificial intelligence (AI), the team from Cardiff University's School of Mathematics was able to monitor tectonic activity in real-time.
The findings of their research, which were published today in Physics of Fluids, involved analyzing sound recordings obtained by hydrophones, or underwater microphones, to measure the acoustic radiation generated by 200 earthquakes that occurred in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Dr. Usama Kadri, a co-author of the study and Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at Cardiff University, emphasized the destructive nature of tsunamis and their potential to cause significant loss of life, as well as damage to coastal regions and infrastructure.
Dr. Kadri also highlighted the significance of their study's findings, explaining that it showcases a method for quickly and accurately obtaining information about the size and scale of tsunamis by tracking acoustic-gravity waves. These waves travel more rapidly through water than tsunami waves, allowing for more time to evacuate coastal areas before a tsunami makes landfall.
Acoustic-gravity waves are a type of sound wave that occur naturally and propagate through the deep ocean at the speed of sound. These waves are capable of traveling thousands of kilometers through water.
Furthermore, Dr. Kadri explained that the acoustic radiation generated by a tectonic event contains valuable information about the event's source and pressure field. This information can be detected at remote locations, even those located thousands of kilometers away from the source.
"This is important because not all underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis."
Most current tsunami warning systems depend on the arrival of waves at sea buoys before triggering alerts, which leaves very little time for people in vulnerable areas to evacuate.
While sea buoys and seismic sensors are used in conjunction to measure underwater earthquakes, the technology is not always reliable in accurately predicting the threat posed by resulting tsunamis.
The team's system is intended to complement existing warning systems, and it involves using a computational model to triangulate the source of the tectonic event based on hydrophone recordings.
Following the triangulation of the tectonic event's source, the team employs algorithms to classify the earthquake's slip type and magnitude. They then calculate earthquake properties such as length, width, uplift speed, and duration, which help determine the size of the resulting tsunami.
Dr. Bernabe Gomez Perez, another co-author of the study who conducted the research while at Cardiff University and is now at the University of California in Los Angeles, noted that tectonic events with a significant vertical slip component are more likely to cause the water column to rise or fall in comparison to events with primarily horizontal slip components.
Therefore, Dr. Perez added, determining the slip type at the early stages of the assessment can help reduce false alarms and improve the reliability of warning systems by providing independent cross-validation.
This research conducted by the team to predict tsunami risk is part of an ongoing effort to improve natural hazard warning systems worldwide.
The team's most recent development involves user-friendly software that is expected to be integrated into national warning centers later this year.
ENDS
Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain’s leading teaching and research universities and is a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s most research intensive universities. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework found 90% of the University’s research to be word-leading or internationally excellent. Among its academic staff are two Nobel Laureates, including the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine, Professor Sir Martin Evans. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, today the University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research. The University’s breadth of expertise encompasses: the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences; and the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering. Its University institutes bring together academics from a range of disciplines to tackle some of the challenges facing society, the economy, and the environment. More at www.cardiff.ac.uk
Physics of Fluids is devoted to the publication of original theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions to the dynamics of gases, liquids, and complex fluids. More at https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf
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