Tsunami inundation maps of Port Valdez, Alaska

We evaluate potential tsunami hazards for the city of Valdez and numerically model the extent of inundation from tsunamis generated by earthquake and landslide sources. Tsunami scenarios include a repeat of the tsunami triggered by the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, as well as hypothetical tsunamis generated by an extended 1964 rupture, a Cascadia megathrust earthquake, and earthquakes from the Prince William Sound and Kodiak asperities of the 1964 rupture. Local underwater landslide events in Port Valdez are also considered as credible tsunamigenic scenarios. Results of numerical modeling are verified by simulating the tectonic and landslide-generated tsunamis in Port Valdez observed during the 1964 earthquake. The results of these tsunami scenarios are intended to provide guidance to local emergency management agencies in tsunami hazard assessment, evacuation planning, and public education for reducing future casualties and damage from tsunamis.