Categorization of the Adriatic Sea coast based on meteotsunami hazard level

The Adriatic Sea is prone to meteotsunamis, with an exceptionally strong event (wave height > 2 m) observed 1-2 times per decade, and moderate events (wave height > 1 m) once every 1-2 years. Adriatic Sea meteotsunamis occur at many locations along the mainland and, more often, islands. The goal of this research is to determine potential meteotsunami risk along the Adriatic Sea coast. The risk estimate is based on numerical modeling of maximum wave heights in dependance on speed and direction of air pressure disturbances. The modeling results are then combined with the ERA5 reanalysis over the past 30 years to determine how often suitable, previously determined, synoptic conditions for meteotsunamis present over the area. Based on both the sea modeling and atmospheric reanalysis, a meteotsunami hazard level is associated with each point of the Adriatic Sea coast, and the results are shown on a detailed map.