Coastal Engineering Research Center (Continued) 
Type 19 Flood Insurance Study: Tsunami Predictions 
for Southern California 
Houston, J. R., TR HL-80-18 
Publication Date: September 1980 
Location: Southern California, from Santa Barbara Point 
to Mexican border 
Period of Coverage: N/A 
Contents: Calculations of shoreline elevations due to tsunamis of distant 
origin were made for the southern California region. Elevations were deter- 
mined that were expected to be equaled or exceeded on the average of once per 
100 or once per 500 years. In addition, exceedance frequency distributions 
for arbitrary frequencies of occurrence were presented. Historical data of 
tsunami activity in distant generation regions were used in the investigation 
in conjunction with numerical models that generated tsunamis and propagated 
them across the deep-ocean and nearshore region. The combined effects of the 
astronomical tides and tsunamis were incorporated in the analysis. Numerical 
simulations of the 1964 Alaskan tsunami in southern California were performed 
and comparisons with historical tide gage recordings were presented. Tsunami 
elevation predictions based upon the methods presented in the investigation 
were shown to be in good agreement with predictions based solely upon histori- 
cal data of tsunami activity (at the limited number of locations in southern 
California with sufficient historical data to allow reasonable predictions to 
be made). 
Available From: National Technical Information Service 
US Department of Commerce 
5285 Port Royal Road 
Springfield, VA 22161 
(703) 487-4650, FTS 737-4650 
(NTLS Accession No. AD—-A091-657) 
TII-20 
