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Term Definition
Overflow

A flowing over; inundation.

Paleotsunami

Tsunami occurring prior to the historical record or for which there are no written observations. Paleotsunami research is based primarily on the identification, mapping, and dating of tsunami deposits found in coastal areas, and their correlation with similar sediments found elsewhere locally, regionally, or across ocean basins. As work in this field continues it may provide important new information about past tsunamis to aid in the assessment of the tsunami hazard.

Post-Tsunami Survey

Tsunamis are relatively rare events and most of their evidence is phemeral. Therefore, it is very important that reconnaissance surveys be organized and carried out quickly and thoroughly after each tsunami occurs, to collect detailed data valuable for hazard assessment, model validation, and other aspects of tsunami mitigation.

Recession

Drop in sea level prior to tsunami flooding. The shoreline moves seaward, sometimes by a kilometre or more, exposing the sea bottom, rocks, and fish. The recession of the sea is a natural warning sign that a tsunami is approaching.

Regional Tsunami

A tsunami capable of destruction in a particular geographic region, generally within about 1,000 km of its source. Regional tsunamis also occasionally have very limited and localized effects outside the region. Most of the destructive tsunamis can be classified as local or regional, meaning their destructive effects are confined to coasts within a hundred km, or up to a thousand km, respectively, of the source -- usually an earthquake. It follows that many tsunami related casualties and considerable property damage also comes from such tsunami.

Rise

The upward change or elevation in sea level associated with a tsunami, a tropical cyclone, storm surge, the tide, or other long term climatic effect.

Run Up

1) Difference between the elevation of maximum tsunami penetration (inundation line) and the sea-level at the time of the tsunami. 2) Elevation reached by seawater measured relative to some stated datum such as mean sea level, mean low water, sea level at the time of the tsunami arrival, etc., and measured ideally at a point that is a local maximum of the horizontal inundation.

Run Up Distribution

Set of tsunami run-up values measured or observed along a coastline.

Sea

A large body of salt water, second in rank to an ocean, more or less landlocked and generally part of, or connected with, an ocean or a larger sea. Examples: Mediterranean Sea; South China Sea.

Seiche

A seiche is the term used to describe oscillations in a partially or fully enclosed body of water. It may be initiated by long period seismic waves (an earthquake), wind and water waves, or a tsunami.

Seismic Sea Wave

Tsunamis are sometime referred to as seismic sea waves because they are most often generated by earthquakes.

Seismic Waves

Vibrations that travel outward from the earthquake fault at speeds of several kilometres per second. While fault slippage directly under a structure can cause considerable damage, the vibrations produced by seismic waves cause most of the destruction during earthquakes.

Setback

A required open space, specified in shoreline master programmes, measured horizontally upland from a perpendicular to the ordinary high water mark.

Shore

The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, including the zone between high and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach. Also used in a general sense to mean the coastal area (e.g. to live at the shore). Also sometimes known as the littoral.

Shoreline

The intersection of a specified plane of water with the shore or beach (e.g. the high water shoreline would be the intersection of the plane of mean high water with the shore or beach). The line delineating the shoreline on nautical charts and surveys approximates the mean high water line.

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