Browsing by Subject "Tsunami"
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Item I am pouring sweet water on my altar for you : theorizing women of color feminism at the junctures of storm/water, femininity, race and power(2015-05) Gunasena, Natassja Bindu; Tinsley, Omise'eke Natasha, 1971-; Tang, EricThis thesis is a meditation on the womanness of water and the wateriness of black and brown womannness. It begins with a consideration of those women that were swept away in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka and those women who were engulfed by the rage of Hurricane Katrina nine months later. As such, this thesis is also a consideration of waterscapes of origin, of the pitfalls and potentials of women of color connecting through, with and as water. It names Yemoja, Oshun, Erzulie, Pattini and Viharamahadevi as theories of water, gender and race developed by women whose lives are "writ in water", and it names them as flesh-and-blood women who wrest/ed meaning from materiality. And finally, this thesis is my own praxis of "crossing", my response to M.Jacqui Alexander's call to "water the plantain shoots" and to remember what we have forgotten we've forgotten. It is a navigation of the waters of women of color feminism, anchored first and always in Black feminism, that hopes to a chart a new future where the bridge isn’t only our back, but our hands, our tongues, and our hearts.Item Identification of Submarine Landslide for Tsunami Hazard Assessment in the Gulf of Mexico Using a Probabilistic Approach(2014-04-23) Lohithakshan Parambath, LishaThe eastern coast of USA, including the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), is more prone to tsunamis caused by submarine landslides than earthquakes. The Tsunami Hazard Assessment research program lead by ten Brink, 2009, reported the presence of ancient submarine landslides deposit in the GOM dating back to the post glacial period which indicates that there is a likelihood for tsunami events in the future. In fact, the GOM has some of the largest submarine landslides when compared to landslides off the coast of Oregon, central California and New Jersey. Moreover, the high population density and the ongoing industrial development in the GOM, makes it necessary to assess the hazard and develop mitigation plans that involve the development of inundation map, education, early warning and evacuation plans. Specifically in the GOM, assessing the tsunami hazard is to develop tsunami inundation map to identify potential submarine landslide sources, either by using a probabilistic approach or a deterministic approach that uses worst case landslide-tsunami scenarios. A probabilistic approach in the GOM is more suited due to the lack of earlier records of tsunami caused by submarine landslides. Thus the probabilistic model can mimic or create tsunami scenarios based on distribution of physical and geometrical variables involve in the landslide-tsunami mechanisms. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) is the tool used to generate random variables under certain distribution, and the MCS Model for the GOM generates a large number of submarine landslides with randomized parameters (like location, runout length, depth, headscarp height, width, slope etc.) capable of producing tsunamis. Parameter results are validated to verify if their distribution follow the same distribution from observed landslide events.Item Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Tsunami Generation by Subaerial Landslides(2012-09-19) Kim, Gyeongbo 1978-Tsunamis are one of the most catastrophic natural events impacting coastal regions often generated by undersea earthquakes. Nevertheless, in enclosed basins, i.e., fjords, reservoirs and lakes, subaerial or submarine landslides can initiate devastating tsunamis with similar consequences. Although a subaerial or submarine landslide that impinges into a large water body can generate a tsunami, subaerial landslides are much more efficient tsunami generators than its counterpart. In this study we aim to integrate laboratory scale experiments of tsunami generation by subaerial landslide with numerical models. The work focuses on the numerical validation of two three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (3D-NS) models, FLOW-3D and our developed model TSUNAMI3D. The models are validated based on previous large scale laboratory experiments performed by a tsunami research team lead by Dr. Hermann Fritz, Georgia Institute of Technology. Three large scale landslide scenarios were selected from the set of laboratory experiments, namely, fjord like, headland and far field coastline. These scenarios showed that complex wave fields can be generated by subaerial landslides. The correct definition and evolution of the wave field are key to accurate modeling the ensuing tsunami and its effect in coastal regions. In this study, comparisons are performed between numerical results and laboratory experiments. Methodology and key parameters for soil rheology are defined for model validations. Results of the models are expected to be under the allowable errors indicated by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) guidelines for validation of tsunami numerical models. The ultimate goal of this research is to obtain better tsunami calculation tools for real-world application of 3-D models for landslide tsunamis, which are necessary for the construction of inundation maps in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean regions.Item Physical models of tsunami deposition : an investigation of morphodynamic controls(2013-05) Delbecq, Katherine Lynn; Kim, Wonsuck; Mohrig, DavidA key goal of tsunami research is to quantitatively reconstruct flow parameters from paleotsunami deposits in order to better understand the geohazards of coastal areas. These reconstructions rely on grain-size and thickness measurements of tsunami deposits, combined with simple models that allow an inversion from deposit characteristics to wave characteristics. I conducted flume experiments to produce a data set that can be used to evaluate inversion models for tsunami deposition under controlled boundary conditions. Key variables in the flume experiments are sediment grain-size distribution, flow velocity and depth, and depth of water ponded in the flume before the tsunami bore was released. Physical experiments were run in a 32 m-long outdoor flume at The University of Texas at Austin. The flume has a head box with a specialized mechanical lift gate that allows instantaneous release of water to create a bore. Various sediment mixtures (silt to very coarse sand) are introduced to the upstream end of the channel as a low dune positioned just below the lift gate. The bore entrained the sediment mixture, producing an unambiguous suspension-dominated deposit in the downstream half of the channel. Deposits were sampled for grain-size and thickness trends. The experimental results capture characteristics of many recent and paleotsunami deposits, including consistent fining in the transport direction. In addition to overall fining, trends in deposit sorting and coarse (D95) and fine (D10) fractions reveal the importance of sediment-source grain-size distribution on tsunami deposit attributes.Item Physical models of tsunami deposition : an investigation of morphodynamic controls(2013-05) Delbecq, Katherine Lynn; Kim, Wonsuck; Mohrig, DavidA key goal of tsunami research is to quantitatively reconstruct flow parameters from paleotsunami deposits in order to better understand the geohazards of coastal areas. These reconstructions rely on grain-size and thickness measurements of tsunami deposits, combined with simple models that allow an inversion from deposit characteristics to wave characteristics. I conducted flume experiments to produce a data set that can be used to evaluate inversion models for tsunami deposition under controlled boundary conditions. Key variables in the flume experiments are sediment grain-size distribution, flow velocity and depth, and depth of water ponded in the flume before the tsunami bore was released. Physical experiments were run in a 32 m-long outdoor flume at The University of Texas at Austin. The flume has a head box with a specialized mechanical lift gate that allows instantaneous release of water to create a bore. Various sediment mixtures (silt to very coarse sand) are introduced to the upstream end of the channel as a low dune positioned just below the lift gate. The bore entrained the sediment mixture, producing an unambiguous suspension-dominated deposit in the downstream half of the channel. Deposits were sampled for grain-size and thickness trends. The experimental results capture characteristics of many recent and paleotsunami deposits, including consistent fining in the transport direction. In addition to overall fining, trends in deposit sorting and coarse (D95) and fine (D10) fractions reveal the importance of sediment-source grain-size distribution on tsunami deposit attributes.Item The Role of Natural Disaster in Individual and Relational Adjustment: A Longitudinal Examination of the Associations between Maternal Mental Health, Child Physical Health, and Family Cohesion among Sri Lankan Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami(2011-08) Banford, Alyssa J.; Ivey, David C.; Wickrama, Thulitha; Fischer, Judith L.; Prouty, Anne M.; Smith, Douglas B.The prevalence of natural disasters, and the enormous impact they have on the lives of those affected is significant and far reaching. Previous research focused on adverse effects has indicated that exposure to natural disasters may exert particular consequences for mental health. The relational outcomes of disaster survivors are yet to be fully understood and adequately examined. Furthermore, women, especially in lower income countries, are more likely to suffer adverse financial, physical, mental and emotional outcomes of disaster. Women in developing countries, and familistic or community oriented cultures are primarily responsible for care giving in the home. When a disaster leaves people injured or debilitated in its wake, it is often women who assume the primary care giving role on their behalf. Little is understood about the dynamic of having a child with a physical health problem resulting from a disaster, and how the presence of such a health problem relates to maternal mental health status. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between maternal mental health, the presence of a child’s disaster-related physical health problems and family cohesion over time among Sri Lankan survivors of the 2004 tsunami. Each of these variables was measured using a self-report questionnaire administered four months after the tsunami and again three years later. Path analysis was utilized to examine the relationships between the key variables. Results of the path analysis indicated that mental health and family cohesion four months after the disaster significantly predicted variance in mental health and family cohesion three years later. Clinical and empirical research implications are presented and discussed.