Regional tsunami hazard assessment for communities on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

We assess potential tsunami hazard for three coastal communities on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: Anchor Point, Nanwalek, and Port Graham. The primary tsunami hazard for these communities is considered to be near-field, with a major threat originating from tsunamigenic earthquakes along the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust. We numerically model tsunamis generated by three different megathrust earthquakes and two volcanic sources, analyze tsunami wave dynamics, and develop approximate tsunami hazard maps for the communities. The hypothetical tsunami scenarios that we examined simulate Mw 9.0 megathrust earthquakes with a slip distribution in the 5-35 km (3-22 mi) depth range along the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust, as well as tsunamigenic mass flows originating from Augustine Volcano. The maximum runup heights are 12.2 m (40 ft) in Anchor Point, 14 m (46 ft) in Nanwalek, and 14.9 m (49 ft) in Port Graham. Results presented here are intended to provide guidance to local emergency management agencies in initial tsunami inundation assessment, evacuation planning, and public education for mitigation of future tsunami hazards. The complete report and digital data are available from the DGGS website: http://doi.org/10.14509/30194.