Tsunamis can be generated by a variety of mechanisms, including earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity and atmospheric disturbances. They can cause widespread damage and fatalities in coastal areas including lakeshores, highlighting the need to advance tsunami science towards implementing effective disaster risk reduction measures and developing early warning systems. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the tsunami science has evolved significantly, expanding into new research areas and regions. However, recent events, such as the 2022 Hunga Tonga - Hunga Hapai and the 2025 Kamchatka tsunamis, have challenged the progress in tsunami science and warning, and raised further questions on modeling, hazard assessment and warning capabilities at different scales. They particularly underscored the importance of closer collaboration between different research fields and operational communities, especially in:
- Analytical and numerical modelling of tsunami generation, propagation and inundation from various triggering mechanisms, including single or multi-causative sources (from large subduction to more local earthquakes generated in tectonically complex environments, from subaerial/submarine landslides and glacier collapses to volcanic eruptions and atmospheric disturbances)
- Deterministic and probabilistic tsunami hazard, vulnerability, and risk assessments, including a multi-hazard perspective
- Forecasting tsunamis using emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and satellite altimetry (e.g. SWOT satellite)
- Early warning and monitoring, emphasizing innovative marine and seafloor observation methods, sensors and data processing techniques to improve the early characterization of tsunami sources and detection
- Societal and economic impacts of tsunami events on coastal communities
- Hazards perceptions, communication and engagement
- Present and future challenges related to global climate change (e.g. the impact of sea level rise)
The overall goal of this session is to enhance our understanding of the tsunami phenomenon and to strengthen our capacity to build safer and more resilient tsunami communities. The session welcomes both specialized and multidisciplinary contributions covering any of the topics mentioned above, including observation databases, real-time networks, numerical and experimental modeling, hazard-vulnerability-risk assessments, and operational tools and procedures for more effective warnings.