Protection from Tsunami Waves? – Experimental study on the effect of underwater barrier on tsunami waves

This paper summarizes the results of a research for finding a solution to reduce the destructive power of a tsunami when approaching a shoreline. Tsunami waves were generated in a tank with a deep-water part and a shore. The wave speed and the fluid particle velocity were measured with and without an underwater barrier. The results show that the barrier reduces the fluid particle velocity up to 47 % and consequently the energy of a tsunami.