Tsunami inundation maps of Fox Islands communities, including Dutch Harbor and Akutan, Alaska

Potential tsunami hazards for the Fox Islands communities of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and Akutan were evaluated by numerically modeling the extent of inundation from tsunami waves generated by hypothetical earthquake sources and taking into account historical observations. Worst-case hypothetical scenarios are defined by analyzing results of a sensitivity study of the tsunami dynamics related to various slip distributions along the Aleutian megathrust. The worst-case scenarios for Unalaska and Akutan are thought to be thrust earthquakes in the Fox Islands region with magnitudes ranging from Mw 8.8 to Mw 9.1 that have their greatest slip at 30-40 km (18-25 mi) depth. We also consider Tohoku-type ruptures and an outer-rise rupture in the area of the Fox Islands. Results presented here are intended to provide guidance to local emergency management agencies in tsunami inundation assessment, evacuation planning, and public education to mitigate future tsunami hazards.