Numerical evaluation of the coral damages by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Similan Islands, Thailand

Abstract

Coral reefs are ecologically and economically valuable. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the damages on corals were extensively studied by various international teams. However, there is no quantitative study that evaluated the relationship between the degree of the damage on corals and the hydraulic values of the tsunami. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the coral damages by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the hydraulic value of the tsunami at Similan Islands, Thailand, based on the numerical modeling of the tsunami inundation. As a result, it was found that the current velocity of the tsunami was one of the important factors for the damage of corals.