Abstract
An earthquake occurred off the west coast of Nicaragua at 18 h 16 m on September 1, 1992. Despite a relatively modest magnitude (Ms = 7.0 Mw = 7.6), the earthquake generated a significant tsunami, which strongly impacted the coast of Nicaragua and was felt at several remote stations. In an attempt to better understand the tsunami propagation and coastal impact, we conducted a field survey on November 2–7, 1992, i.e., roughly 2 months after the event. We emphasized the observation of run-up and inundation, but also collected a limited number of sand samples and mud cores. A total of 12 sites were surveyed, with multiple stations per site. This article presents the results of the survey, including a detailed discussion of the observation methods and data processing strategies. Observed run-ups (relative to MSL) were typically in the 4–7 m range, with a maximum run-up of 9.1 m at San Martin, an open coast site with a steep beach slope. Inundation extents were relatively modest, typically of the order of a few hundred meters.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 169-203 |
Number of pages | 35 |
Journal | Marine Geodesy |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1993 |
Keywords
- Field observations
- Long waves
- Nicaragua
- Run-up
- Tsunami
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oceanography