Abstract
The understanding of meteotsunamis—significant atmospherically generated long ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band—has advanced considerably during the last two decades. Scientists and specialists use near-field in situ data and remote observations, as well as atmospheric and ocean modeling, to study destructive events. The phenomenon has been reported and investigated worldwide, indicating its relevance as a marine natural hazard and demonstrating the urgent need for meteotsunami warning systems for certain countries. In this paper we summarize the present knowledge of the phenomenon, identify particular research gaps, and propose near-future critical components of meteotsunami research. We emphasize a potential concept of merging yet-to-be-developed meteotsunami warning systems and existing tsunami or multi-hazard early warning systems.
Introduction
Nomitsu () was first to write about “tsunamis of atmospheric origin” and to describe significant atmospherically induced tsunami-like oscillations observed in certain harbors and bays of the Japanese islands. Defant () indicated that similar oscillations are also observed in some other regions of the world oceans and recommended the general term “meteorological tsunami” or “meteotsunami” for this type of phenomena. Rabinovich and Monserrat (, ) introduced this term to the tsunami community. The similarity of seismically generated tsunamis and meteotsunamis was obvious; also, it became clear that many “tsunamis of unknown origin” described in tsunami catalogs (e.g., Soloviev and Go, ; Lander et al., ) are, in fact, meteorological tsunamis. After an overview paper by Monserrat et al. () the term “meteotsunami” became widely used and respective long oceanic waves began to be recognized as other natural hazards.
Meteotsunamis have the same temporal and spatial scales as ordinary tsunami waves and can affect coastal areas in a similar destructive way, but they are generated by traveling atmospheric disturbances, rather than by underwater earthquakes, landslides or volcanic eruptions (Monserrat et al., ). A specific property of meteotsunamis is that they are phenomena of resonance: intensive waves can be produced only through resonant transfer of energy from the atmosphere to the ocean via Proudman resonance (Proudman, ), U = c, or Greenspan resonance (Greenspan, ), U = cj, where U is the speed of atmospheric disturbances, is the long wave speed, cj is the speed of one of the first modes of edge waves, h is the ocean depth and g is the gravitational acceleration. Normally, catastrophic meteotsunamis occur only in particular regions that have extensive shelf areas promoting these types of resonances, with depths ranging from 25 to 150 m, conducive for long wave speeds of 16 to 40 m/s. Specific local topographic features facilitating the substantial amplification of arriving waves are a V-shape for the external embayment opened toward the incoming long ocean waves and narrow-entrance internal bays/harbors with high Q-factor (Miles and Munk, ).
In certain harbors and bays of the world oceans, the phenomenon has been known for a long time and is called by local names: “abiki” in Japan, “rissaga” on the Balearic Islands, “šćiga” in the Adriatic Sea, “marrobbio” (“marrubbio”) in Sicily, and “milghuba” in Malta (Monserrat et al., ; Rabinovich, ). The science of meteotsunamis has developed rapidly in the last two decades, documenting the phenomenon along the coasts of all continents except Antarctica (Figure 1). Much of this work has been consolidated in two special issues: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth (Rabinovich et al., ) and Natural Hazards1 (Vilibić et al., ).
Figure 1
Meteotsunami research concentrates on several issues: (i) what processes and conditions in the atmosphere are responsible for the generation of meteotsunamis; (ii) how is the atmospheric energy transferred to the ocean waves, (iii) what types of resonant properties control the process; (iv) how does bathymetry affect the propagation and amplification of meteotsunami waves; and (v) what architecture and protocols should be used for timely and reliable detection of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances and early meteotsunami warning? The last question implies that the knowledge of the phenomenon is appropriate for real-time detection and prediction of meteotsunamis. It is also the ultimate question to be answered to mitigate damage caused by coastal flooding and/or strong currents.
The 1978 Vela Luka meteotsunami (Adriatic Sea, Croatia) caused a loss of $7 M (in 1978 prices), equal to of the annual income of the entire island of Korčula (Vučetić et al.,
Research gaps and perspectives
Atmospherically-induced long waves in the open ocean have spatial and temporal scales similar to the mesoscale atmospheric disturbances which generate them. An individual tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbance has typical horizontal scales of 10-100 km and can propagate over 50-500 km (Belušić et al.,
Aside from the exact knowledge of the atmospheric physics responsible for the creation of tsunamigenic disturbances (duct waves, wave-CISK2, storms, frontal passages, gales or squall lines, etc.; see Belušić et al.,
A critical issue in tsunami modeling is the proper reproduction of the tsunami source (Satake and Fujii,
If the atmospheric forcing is known, the ocean modeling of meteotsunamis is straightforward, as physics of generated ocean waves is barotropic to first order. This enables us to use 2D models, similar to those applied for tsunami research (Monserrat et al.,
The development of coupled atmospheric-oceanic models, which are required for accurate meteotsunami reproduction, is also important. At present, there are no reliable coupled models, since existing atmospheric models are not able to properly reproduce the evolution of traveling air pressure waves over water basins. An attempt to take into account the effect of such coupling has so far only been made by Renault et al. (
Precise high-resolution capacities for continuous monitoring and detection of tsunamigenic disturbances and meteotsunami waves are of primary importance. Various observational networks are available for both atmospheric and oceanic measurements, but no standards for meteotsunami observations have yet been developed and therefore not a single network was adopted to properly capture meteotsunamis. Investigations of meteotsunamis are mainly based on standard meteorological and oceanographic networks, which mostly have insufficient accuracy and too coarse temporal resolution (e.g., 6-min NOAA CO-OPS air pressure network or 10-min regional meteo-ocean buoy network in the Gulf of Maine) and do not properly capture high-frequency processes at a minute timescale (Thomson et al.,
Recently, 1-min resolution sea level observations around the world oceans became available through the IOC Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility service (http://www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org). These observations will definitely allow better assessment of high-frequency oscillations in many regions. The service has 100 data providers, indicating that the urgent need for high-resolution sea level monitoring, largely coming from the tsunami community, has finally pushed tide gauge observation standards to 1-min time resolution. However, spatial resolution of such a global network is insufficient for measurements of highly variable processes with scales of a few tens of kilometres or less.
Another important issue, to be potentially used in a meteotsunami warning system, is the obvious correlation of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances with specific weather conditions, at least in the Mediterranean region (Jansà et al.,
“Classical” sea level instruments and approaches might not be a solution for proper measurements of meteotsunami waves, as it is too costly to have a dense tide gauge network at meteotsunami hot spots. A densified network of cheap autonomous water level loggers might be a better choice, as it requires no maintenance and is easily deployed and recovered at piers, cliffs and the sea bottom. However, these water level data are not available in real time and may be used only for research purposes. Multi-hazard standard observatories, satellites mapping the spatial and temporal characteristics of tsunamigenic disturbances (Belušić and Strelec Mahović,
Most of the above research issues are still focused on reproduction of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances and associated oceanic waves. This respective knowledge is a prerequisite for building a meteotsunami warning system. However, there are other aspects relevant for creation of a system appropriate for a priori studies, in particular, for assessment of meteotsunami hazard, vulnerability and risk, including socio-economic effects (Geist et al.,
In summary, the critical components of meteotsunami research that, in our opinion, need to be advanced for better understanding of the phenomenon and eventual creation of a reliable meteotsunami warning system are:
Improvement of atmospheric models and of their high-resolution physics, resulting in reliable reproduction of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances;
Development of coupled atmosphere-ocean models to reproduce meteotsunami events;
Construction of high-resolution bathymetry grids for coastal regions and critical depth features (shelf breaks, canyons, shoals, sills, etc.);
Connection of intense high-frequency sea level oscillations with particular synoptic conditions and definition of site-dependant and region-dependant meteotsunami indices;
Installation of meteorological radars for continuous monitoring of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances and elaboration of efficient detection algorithms to identify these disturbances;
Verification of new technological solutions and instrumentation for detection of spatial and temporal characteristics of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances and associated ocean waves, and their amplification approaching the coast;
Risk assessment of meteotsunamis and mitigation of their socio-economic impact.
Toward meteotsunami warning systems
A meteotsunami warning system for particular hot-spot areas can be created based on the following four approaches: (i) identification of tsunamigenic atmospheric synoptic conditions; (ii) real-time detection of tsunamigenic atmospheric disturbances using a microbarograph network; (iii) measurement and tracking of high-frequency sea level oscillations by high-resolution digital tide gauges; and (iv) numerical simulation of meteotsunamis based on coupling of atmosphere-ocean numerical models.
The first approach is already operational on the Balearic Islands, where a meteotsunami forecast is given a few days ahead, but only at the qualitative level (Jansà et al.,
The second approach has been preliminary tested at a pilot microbarograph network in the Adriatic Sea (Šepić and Vilibić,
The main idea of the third approach is sea level monitoring at a “beacon” station positioned off the hot-spot region, providing again approximately an hour of advance time for the most endangered locations (Marcos et al.,
The fourth approach is operational within the BRIFS (Balearic Rissaga Forecasting System, www.socib.eu). Present coupled atmospheric-oceanic models are able to provide qualitative reproduction of meteotsunami waves, but still underestimate their amplitude and the potential for damage (Renault et al.,
None of the above approaches can yet provide reliable early warning. A meteotsunami warning system should have identification-to-warning time on a minute scale, it has to be able to identify most potentially destructive events and to produce a minimum number of false warnings, following criteria developed for tsunami warning systems (Igarashi et al.,
Figure 2

The multilayer architecture of the proposed meteotsunami warning system, which includes observational and numerical modeling capacities, processing tools for detection of tsunamigenic conditions, and capacities for dissemination of the warning to civil authorities and the public.
Constructing a meteotsunami warning system for any region should take into account the cost of such a system in comparison with the meteotsunami risk over a reasonable timescale. It is obvious that such a system is primarily important for “hot spots,” i.e., for specific areas where destructive meteotsunamis can be expected. Active international cooperation and close coordination of efforts, exchange of ideas, knowledge, and approaches are crucial for successful investigation and mitigation of this natural hazard.
Statements
Author contributions
IV coordinated the work on the manuscript and wrote the initial version of the manuscript, JS prepared the figures and revised the text substantially, AR did a substantial polishing of text and figures, while all authors actively contributed to the development of the manuscript idea, to its writing and preparation of figures.
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Fred Stephenson of the Canadian Hydrographic Service, Institute of Ocean Sciences (Sidney, British Columbia) for editing the text and helpful advice. The work of IV and JS has been supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project MESSI (UKF Grant No. 25/15) and SCOOL (IP-2014-09-5747), and for AR by the Russian Science Foundation (grant 14-50-00095) and funds of IO RAS.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Footnotes
1.^It is also published as a book by Springer (Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2014).
2.^Conditional Instability of the Second Kind.
References
1
AndersonE. J.BechleA. J.WuC. H.SchwabD. J.MannG. E.LombardyK. A. (2015). Reconstruction of a meteotsunami in Lake Erie on May 27, 2012: roles of atmospheric conditions on hydrodynamic response in enclosed basins. J. Geophys. Res.120, 8020–8038. 10.1002/2015JC010883
2
BelušićD.GrisogonoB.Bencetić KlaićZ. (2007). Atmospheric origin of the devastating coupled air-sea event in the east Adriatic. J. Geophys. Res.112, D17111. 10.1029/2006JD008204
3
BelušićD.Strelec MahovićN. (2009). Detecting and following atmospheric disturbances with a potential to generate meteotsunamis in the Adriatic. Phys. Chem. Earth34, 918–927. 10.1016/j.pce.2009.08.009
4
DefantA. (1961). Physical Oceanography. London: Pergamon Press.
5
EwingM.PressF.DonnW. L. (1954). An explanation of the Lake Michigan wave of 26 June 1954. Science120, 684–686. 10.1126/science.120.3122.684
6
GeistE. L.ten BrinkU. S.GoveM. (2014). A framework for the probabilistic analysis of meteotsunamis. Nat. Hazards74, 123–142. 10.1007/s11069-014-1294-1
7
GolnaraghiM. (2012). Institutional Partnerships in Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems. Heidelberg: Springer.
8
GreenspanH. P. (1956). The generation of edge waves by moving pressure distributions. J. Fluid Mech.1, 575–592. 10.1017/S002211205600038X
9
HaslettS. K.BryantE. A. (2009). Meteorological tsunamis in Southern Britain: an historical review. Geogr. Rev.99, 146–163. 10.1111/j.1931-0846.2009.tb00424.x
10
HibiyaT.KajiuraK. (1982). Origin of “abiki” phenomenon (kind of seiches) in Nagasaki Bay. J. Oceanogr. Soc. Jap.38, 172–182. 10.1007/BF02110288
11
IgarashiY.KongL.YamamotoM.McCreeryC. S. (2011). Anatomy of historical tsunamis: lessons learned for tsunami warning. Pure Appl. Geophys.168, 2043–2063. 10.1007/s00024-011-0287-1
12
JansàA.MonserratS.GomisD. (2007). The rissaga of 15 June 2006 in Ciutadella (Menorca), a meteorological tsunami. Adv. Geosci.12, 1–4. 10.5194/adgeo-12-1-2007
13
LambH. (1932). Hydrodynamics.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
14
LanderJ. F.LockridgeP. A.KozuchM. J. (1993). Tsunamis affecting the West Coast of the United States, 1806-1992. Boulder: Colorado, National Geophysical Data Center, 242.
15
LindzenR. S.TungK.-K. (1976). Banded convective activity and ducted gravity waves. Mon. Wea. Rev.104, 1602–1617.
16
LipaB.ParikhH.BarrickD.RoartyH.GlennS. (2014). High-frequency radar observations of the June 2013 US East Coast meteotsunami. Nat. Hazards74, 109–122. 10.1007/s11069-013-0992-4
17
MarcosM.MonserratS.MedinaR.OrfilaA.OlabarrietaM. (2009). External forcing of meteorological tsunamis at the coast of the Balearic Islands. Phys. Chem. Earth34, 938–947. 10.1016/j.pce.2009.10.001
18
MilesJ.MunkW. (1961). Harbor paradox, J. Waterways Harbor Division87, 111–130.
19
MonserratS.VilibićI.RabinovichA. B. (2006). Meteotsunamis: atmospherically induced destructive ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.6, 1035–1051. 10.5194/nhess-6-1035-2006
20
MungovG.EbléM.BouchardR. (2013). DART® Tsunameter retrospective and real-time data: a reflection on 10 years of processing in support of tsunami research and operations. Pure Appl. Geophys.170, 1369–1384. 10.1007/s00024-012-0477-5
21
NomitsuT. (1935). A theory of tsunamis and seiches produced by wind and barometric gradient. Mem. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Kyoto A18, 201–214.
22
Pararas-CarayannisG. (2015). Tsunami warning system in the Pacific: brief historical review of its establishment and institutional support. Sci. Tsunami Hazards34, 101–139.
23
PattiaratchiC. B.WijeratneE. M. S. (2015). Are meteotsunamis an underrated hazard?Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A373, 20140377. 10.1098/rsta.2014.0377
24
ProudmanJ. (1929). The effects on the sea of changes in atmospheric pressure. Geophys. Suppl. Mon. Notices R. Astr. Soc.2, 197–209. 10.1111/j.1365-246X.1929.tb05408.x
25
RabinovichA. B. (2009). Seiches and harbor oscillations, in Handbook of Coastal and Ocean Engineering, ed KimY. C. (Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Company), 193−236.
26
RabinovichA. B.MonserratS. (1996). Meteorological tsunamis near the Balearic and Kuril Islands: descriptive and statistical analysis. Nat. Hazards13, 55–90. 10.1007/BF00156506
27
RabinovichA. B.MonserratS. (1998). Generation of meteorological tsunamis (large amplitude seiches) near the Balearic and Kuril Islands. Nat. Hazards18, 27–55. 10.1023/A:1008096627047
28
RabinovichA. B.VilibićI.TintiS. (2009). Meteorological tsunamis: atmospherically induced destructive ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band. Phys. Chem. Earth34, 891–893. 10.1016/j.pce.2009.10.006
29
RenaultL.VizosoG.JansàA.WilkinJ.TintoréJ. (2011). Toward the predictability of meteotsunamis in the Balearic Sea using regional nested atmosphere and ocean models. Geophys. Res. Lett.38, L10601. 10.1029/2011gl047361
30
SatakeK.FujiiY. (2014). Review: source models of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and long-term forecast of large earthquakes. J. Disaster Res.9, 272–280. 10.20965/jdr.2014.p0272
31
ŠepićJ.RabinovichA. B. (2014). Meteotsunami in the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic coast of the United States generated by the “derecho” of June 29–30, 2012. Nat. Hazards74, 75–107. 10.1007/s11069-014-1310-5
32
ŠepićJ.VilibićI.FineI. (2015b). Northern Adriatic meteorological tsunamis: assessment of their potential through ocean modeling experiments. J. Geophys. Res.120, 2993–3010. 10.1002/2015JC010795
33
ŠepićJ.VilibićI.RabinovichA. B.MonserratS. (2015a). Widespread tsunami-like waves of 23-27 June in the Mediterranean and Black Seas generated by high-altitude atmospheric forcing. Sci. Rep.5, 11682. 10.1002/2015JC010795
34
ŠepićJ.VilibićI. (2011). The development and implementation of a real-time meteotsunami warning network for the Adriatic Sea. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.11, 83–91. 10.5194/nhess-11-83-2011
35
SibleyA.CoxD.LongD.TappinD.HorseburghK. (2016). Meteorologically generated tsunami-like waves in the North Sea on 1/2 July 2015 and 28 May 2008. Weather71, 68–74. 10.1002/wea.2696
36
SolovievS. L.GoC.h. N. (1974). Catalogue of Tsunamis on the Western Shore of the Pacific Ocean. Moscow: Nauka. [in Russian; English Translation: Canadian Transl. Fish. Aquatic Sci., No. 5078, Ottawa, 1984, 439].
37
TanakaK. (2010). Atmospheric pressure-wave bands around a cold front resulted in a meteotsunami in the East China Sea in February 2009. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.10, 2599–2610. 10.5194/nhess-10-2599-2010
38
TappinD.SibleyA.HorsburghK.DaubordC.CoxD.LongD. (2013). The English Channel tsunami of 27 June 2011 – a probable meteorological source. Weather68, 144–152. 10.1002/wea.2061
39
TeixeiraJ.ReynoldsC. A. (2008). Stochastic nature of physical parameterizations in ensemble prediction: a stochastic convection approach. Mon. Wea. Rev.136, 483–496. 10.1175/2007MWR1870.1
40
ThomsonR. E.RabinovichA. B.FineI. V.SinnottD. C.McCarthyA.SutherlandN. A. S.et al (2009). Meteorological tsunamis on the coasts of British Columbia and Washington. Phys. Chem. Earth34, 971–988. 10.1016/j.pce.2009.10.003
41
TintiS.GrazianiL.BrizuelaB.MaramaiA.GallazziS. (2012). Applicability of the decision matrix of North Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas Tsunami Warning System to the Italian tsunamis. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.12, 843–857. 10.5194/nhess-12-843-2012
42
TintoréJ.VizosoG.CasasB.HeslopE.PascualA.OrfilaA.et al. (2013). SOCIB: The Balearic Islands Coastal Ocean Observing and Forecasting System responding to science, technology and society needs. Mar. Technol. Soc. J.47, 101–117. 10.4031/MTSJ.47.1.10
43
VilibićI.MonserratS.RabinovichA. B. (2014). Meteorological tsunamis on the US East Coast and in other regions of the World Ocean. Nat. Hazards74, 1–9. 10.1007/s11069-014-1350-x
44
VilibićI.MonserratS.RabinovichA. B.MihanovićH. (2008). Numerical modelling of the destructive meteotsunami of 15 June 2006 on the coast of the Balearic Islands. Pure Appl. Geophys.165, 2169–2195. 10.1007/s00024-008-0426-5
45
VučetićT.VilibićI.TintiS.MaramaiA. (2009). The Great Adriatic flood of 21 June 1978 revisited: an overview of the reports. Phys. Chem. Earth34, 894–903. 10.1016/j.pce.2009.08.005
46
WertmanC. A.YablonskyR. M.ShenY.MerrillJ.KincaidC. R.PockalnyR. A. (2014). Mesoscale convective system surface pressure anomalies responsible for meteotsunamis along the US East Coast on June 13th, 2013. Sci. Rep.4, 7143, 10.1038/srep07143
47
WhitmoreP.KnightB. (2014). Meteotsunami forecasting: sensitivities demonstrated by the 2008 Boothbay, Maine, event. Nat. Hazards74, 11–23. 10.1007/s11069-014-1056-0
Summary
Keywords
meteotsunami, natural hazard, air-sea interaction, world oceans, research gaps, sea level measurements, early warning system
Citation
Vilibić I, Šepić J, Rabinovich AB and Monserrat S (2016) Modern Approaches in Meteotsunami Research and Early Warning. Front. Mar. Sci. 3:57. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2016.00057
Received
23 October 2015
Accepted
11 April 2016
Published
03 May 2016
Volume
3 - 2016
Edited by
Ivan David Haigh, University of Southampton, UK
Reviewed by
Matthew John Eliot, Damara WA Pty Ltd, Australia; Kevin James Horsburgh, National Oceanography Centre, UK
Updates

Check for updates
Copyright
© 2016 Vilibić, Šepić, Rabinovich and Monserrat.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Ivica Vilibić vilibic@izor.hr
This article was submitted to Coastal Ocean Processes, a section of the journal Frontiers in Marine Science
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.