Source Model of the October 9, 1995 Jalisco-Colima Tsunami as constrained by field survey reports, and on the numerical simulation of the tsunami

Abstract

A model of the seismic source of the October 9, 1995 Jalisco-Colima tsunami is obtained using the numerical modeling of the tsunami as constrained by field survey reports of tsunami run-up and the extent of flooding, by considering an earthquake (Mw∼8.0) with rupture area A = 9000 km², L = 150 km, W = 60 km, with two different coseismic dislocation patches: 1 m the dislocation of the first 60 km along the fault plane starting from its NW edge, offshore Chalacatepec and Chamela, and 3 m the dislocation of the next 90 km; offshore Tenacatita, Navidad and Manzanillo. As expected, the seismic source obtained in this study is a simplified model in comparison of the seismic source obtained by inverting seismic and GPS data. However, the fact that this simplified model reproduces adequately the location of the rupture area and its coseismic dislocation is still important in order to provide some degree of certainty for the tsunami source of those historical tsunamis for which no seismic nor tide records are available, and only testimonies and vague relates of its effects are documented.