The tsunami hazard in Sri Lanka : a strategic approach for the protection of lives, ecosystems and infrastructure

: The Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated the coastline of Sri Lanka. This paper summarises the initial efforts in understanding the tsunami wave and ~ t s hydraulic impact on the Sri Lanlian coastline. It focuses attention on the hydraulic processes which led to large scale inundation, analysis of wave-current measurements recorded offshore of the Colombo Harbour and describes post tsun~mi field ~nvestigations to assess the overall impact on the coastline. The papcr also identifies the need for modeling of potential tsullalnls and discusses briefly issues relating to the planning of countermeasures.

O n 26"' December 2004, the Sri Lankan coastline witnessed the devastating impact of a tsunami, hereafter referred to as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, which arose from a massive submarine earthquake 400 k m west of northern Sumatra. The earthquake measured 9 on the Richter Scale and the fault length exceeded 1000 km.
The entire coastline with the exception of parts of the north-western coastline was severely affected. T h e previous tsunami to have affected Sri Lanka was o n 27'h August 1883, arising from the eruption of the volcanic island of Krakatoa. O n that occasion, unusually high water levels were observed in several areas along the eastern and southern coastline with hardly any damage.
One o i the important observations of the Indian Ocean Tsunami was that coastal areas in the southern and western provinces that were in the shadow of the direct impact of the tsunami waves were severely affected. This led to investigations t o understand the propagation of the tsunami wave. This paper describes important hydraulic clyiracteristics of the tsunami wave and identifies the processes that led to the devastating impacts. It also focuses on planning of countermeasures and identifies physical interventions both artificial and natural that could be adopted.

Understanding the tsunami wave
The tsunami wave is best understood by studying the important stages of its path from generation to the final phase of inland dissipation. The important stages are, a. Generation

Generation of tsunamis and the initial tsunami source
Tsunamis are primarily generated as a result of s u b m a r i n e earthquakes, volcanic e r u p t i o n s and landslides m o v i n g i n t o t h e oceans. U n d e r w a t e r explosions, for example, arising from test blasts can also generate tsunamis.
These phenomena cause the surrounding ocean to bulge and spread out in a series of waves. In the case of tsunamis generated by earthquakes, the waves spread from the epicenter of the earthquake. O n account of the relative infrequency of their hours there were 10 earthquakes which recorded more occurrence and ~n p r e d i c t a b i l i t~, much remains to be than 6 on the Richter Scale, the highest being 7. These understood of the hydraulics of tsunamis. It is difficult did not generate tsunami waves. Neither did the massive to correlate the strengths of the earthqualie and the earthquake which occured on the 2gth of March 2005, tsunami. Estimation of the wave height at the center of measuring 8.5 on the Richter Scale generate a tsunami. the seismic disturbance is an equally difficult task.
Researchers f r o m Japan, a c o u n t r y t h a t has witnessed near and far field tsunamis, have made significant contributions towards understanding and quantifying the key processes relating to the generation, tsunami source, initial dissipation and the propagation of the tsunami waves. In areas subject t o tsunamis, statistical data on their frequency, magnitude and impact have been collected a n d analyzed leading t o establishment of graphical and empirical relationships among key parameters.' Altllough these relationships cannot be directly applicable to other situations, they provide valuable information on the scientific basis of t h e quantification process, understanding of t h e relationships and initial estimates of key parameters.
In the case of tsunamis generated by submarine earthquakes, there has been a continuous demand to relate the strengths of the tsunami and the earthquake.
The magnitude of an earthquake "W is defined by the Richter Scale. The strength of the tsunami cannot be easily defined. Several classifications have been presented b y researchers. ' Table 1 illustrates t h e classification of the strength of the tsunami expressed as a magnitude "m".' A linear correlation has been introduced between m and M based o n available statistical data, leading t o It is recognized that the type of displacement arising from an earthquake is also important in its contribution t o the formation of the tsunami. Vertical displacement of t h e seafloor is of primary importance f o r t h e generation of tsunamis. Usually the strike-slip motion free of vertical displacement is not a great threat. Some earthquakes tend to rupture the shallowest part of the interplate thrust near the trench, leading to tsunamis of greater strength than those usually generated from an earthquake. However, the magnitude of the Indian Ocean Tsunami is consisrent with the magnitudes of tsunamis generated by other earthquakes of similar magnitude. It is also accepted that if the epicenter of the earthquake is shallow, the magnitude of the tsunami generated is greater.
Mathematical modeling of the areas of tsunami <)rigin has established that the shape of such regions is approximately an ellipse. This was based o n past information on earthquakes as well as recent tsunamis.
The long and short axes 'd' and 'b' of the aftershock have been derermined and related to the strength of the earthquake. 'This is a very important parameter because it represents the direct linkage between the fault length and the area o f the ocean surface that becomes the source of the tsunami. It is argued that the orientation of the main axis of that ellipse plays a vim1 role in the direction of of the tsunami. This is also very useful in detecting the overall exten1 of potential coastline subject LO the tsunami impact.
Accordingly an earthquake of the order of M < 6.5 may not generate any notable tsunami. After the major It has been estimated that the Indian Ocean Tsunami had an initial tsunami intensity of around 5m going up earthquake on the 26"' morning, during the following 24 t o around 25m in some areas within the source. It is Damage and lives lost in certain land-ward areas Considerable damage along more than 400 km of coastline 4 30 m Considerable damage along more than 500 km of coastline evident that the fault line and the resulting major axis of the 'tsunami source ellipse' were more o r less parallel to the north south axis of Sri Lanka thus impacting directly on the eastern and south-eastern coastline.

Deep-water propagation
The The wave height at any point of a propagating tsunami is related to its distance from the origin, the energy content and area of the initial disturbance, and to energy losses in transit which are generally small except in the immediate locality of the disturbance.
Even in the open ocean, the ratio of depth (4 to wavelength (L) is such that a tsunami travels as a 'shallow water wave'(%<,&). Speed (c) o l such waves are governed by the depth of ocean over which it passes and is estimated by

Interaction with the continental shelf
O n moving towards land the wave first interacts will? the continental shelf during which process the initial transformation takes place. Depending o n the physical characteristics of the shelf, part of the energy is reflected and the rest is transmitted towards land. High reflections will reduce the energy transmitted. Sri ~a n k a has a very narrow continental shelf with a sudden drop of levels of the order of 150-200 m t o 3000 m. Larger portion of the incoming wave energy may have been reflected from this near vertical continental shelf. The wave energy that transmitted over the shelf came directly towards land as the Sri Lankan continental shelf is not wide enough to contribute towards significant energy dissipation. Discontinuities in the shelf may cause problems as witnessed at the southern tip of the country. Waves diffracting around the southern parts of the island were further transformed by the complex wave patterns arising from these discontinuities leading t o greater impacts ( Figure 1).

Near-shore transformations
O n reaching shallow water, the speed of the wave reduces but the energy in the wave remains the same due to minimum energy losses, thus increasing the wave height very rapidly and crashing inland with devastating power and destruction. It is very important to recognize that combined action of near-shore processes and local geomorphologic features influence the degree of the final impact at a given location.
In this respect the wave height prior to the entry to the shoreline is further increased by the combined influence of near-shore coastal transformation processes of refraction, diffraction, reflection, and energy From detailed studies of the tsunami wave witnessed around the island, it was clearly evident that near-shore transformation processes and shoreline geometry increased the wave heights along many parts of the Southern and Western Province which would have normally received only diffracted waves. The impacts of the combined transformation processes and the shoreline geometry contributed very heavily to the unexpected devastation at certain locations along the south west coast. The inland topography and lack of drainage facilities further enhanced the problem. The typical transformation processes which were effective around the island are illustrated (Figure 2).

Field investigations
Field investigations were conducted by the University of Moratuwa in collaboration with international researchers and independently, in order to assess the hydraulic impact of the tsunami wave along the affected

Duecianil Reimcted Waves
Reflected Wa-as Conhined U'mes andDlf6tcled Wwes coastal areas. Of particular interest were the inundation heights, intrusion lengths, performance of coast protection works and harbours, and response of coastal eco-systems. The tsunami strikes in a series of waves' whose magnitude can vary and the first wave need not be the largest in the series, as observed globally. O n many occasions the second was the largest along the Sri Lankan coastline. The observed highest wave heights around the island are illustrated (Figure 3).

Modeling of tsunami waves
Tsunamis that occurred previously have been modeled successfully providing an insight to their hydraulic impact.' Several research organisations have also modeled the impact of the Indian Ocean Tsunami o n Sri Lanka. In the absence of near-shore bathymetric data, the models have not covered areas closer to the shoreline. In effect, the near-shore transformation processes and interactions which amplified the wave have not been incorporated. This is reflected in the comparison between the modeling results and field data which indicates poor agreement o n the south western regions in which the combined transformation processes were very ac~ive. In order t o understand the impact of potential tsunamis, there is a need t o simulate a range of possible scenarios incorporating the combined influence of nearshore transformation processes. This could only be achieved by having near-shore bathymetric data and coastal zone topography data covering the island. Results from modeling will provide a clear understanding of the hydraulic impact of t h e tsunami wave and t h e modeling could be extended to cover inland dissipation. The distribution of the inundation water levels, length of intrusion and run-up will provide useful information for coastal zone planning.','

Planning ~ountermeasures
It is important that post-disaster planning should be undertaken in the context of overall coastal hazards, one of which is a tsunami, however remote the chances of a very extreme event taking place. In particular, when planning for reconstruction it is important t o assess scientifically the basis and criteria o n which such an exercise is undertaken. Planning based o n observations arising from a single extreme event without scientifically analyzing the true character of its impacts and future threats and risks should be avoided.
In the post tsunami scenario, some of the investigations which need to be counducted are: 1. Detailed bathymetric surveys of near-shore areas and topographical surveys of the inland coastal zone covering several kilometers.

Assessment of the bathyrnetric changes that have
taken place in the near-shore areas arising from the tsunami, and investigations of the resulting impacts o n other coastal hazards such as storm wave attack, coastal erosion and long term phenomena such as sea level rise.

Identification of potential regions in the Indian
O c e a n w h i c h c o u l d generate s u b m a r i n e earthquakes leading to tsunami waves that will reach Sri Lanka, to assess the probability of occurrence a n d p T h e above investigations will enable t h e formulation of policy and management options that reflect a strategic approach for achieving long term stability for sustaining multiple uses of the coastal zone giving due consideration to the threats and risks of hazards.
There are many countermeasures that could be adopted in coastal zone management when planning for tsunamis and other coastal hazards that accompany high waves and high inundation. These include early warning systems, regulatory interventions in t h e form of extension of existing setback defense line and physical interventions such as protection structures and utilizing the full po;ential of coastal ecosystems. These have to be supplemented with efficient evacuation procedures, incorporating planned evacuation routes and structures that effectively integrate with rhe overall planning process.  In the above context three types of physical interventions are identified depending on their location and function in protecting the coast. These interventions may be achieved not only by artificial methods via Coastal Engineering Design but also by harnessing the full potential of natural coastal ecosystems (Figures 7 & 8).

Development of design guidelines for infrastructure and buildings in the coastal zone
The Coastal Zone is an area of many economic activities and it is not possible to transfer all activities to areas which are completely free from potential tsunami hazards. For some areas of the coast, safe evacuation areas may be too far away for citizens to reach on foot. Therefore there is a need to develop design guidelines and construction manuals for the benefit of the public and wider usage.
In this respect two types of guidelines are required.

Overall design
providing advice on location, layout, orientation, structural configuration, geo-~echnical considerations and other considerations relating t o good design practice.
2. Detailed design guidelines leading to hydraulic and structural loads, geo-technical issues and derailed design information.
The overall design guidelines could be developed from the experience gained from damage assessment from different pans of the country and such assessment should be analysed in the context of the hydraulic regime which would have been generated by the tsunami at that location. Relevant information from other countries which have been affected by tsunamis will also be very useful for this exercise. It is important that damage assessment should cover infrastructure which were (i) Destroyed (ii) Damaged (iii) and Survived (least affected). Many buildings and infrastructure which survived tsunami wave attack consisted of structural configurations having low drag forces and high quality of construction. Buildings having geometrical shapes which generated low drag forces and possessed a certain extent of porosity, thereby perrnittingflow through the structure, survived in many areas and these included places of religious worship.