Randall J. LeVeque: The GeoClaw Software for Tsunamis and Other Hazardous Flows

Many geophysical flows over topography can be modeled by
two-dimensional depth-averaged fluid dynamics equations.  The
shallow water equations are the simplest example of this type,
and are often sufficiently accurate for simulating tsunamis and
other large-scale flows.

These partial differential equations are hyperbolic and can be
modeled using high-resolution finite volume methods. However,
several features of these flows lead to new algorithmic
challenges, such as the fact that the depth goes to zero at the
edge of the flow and that vastly differing spatial scales must
often be modeled, making adaptive mesh refinement essential. I
will discuss some of these algorithms and the GeoClaw software,
a specialized version of Clawpack that is aimed at solving
real-world geophysical flow problems over topography.  In
addition to tsunami modeling, extensions of this software have
also been applied to storm surge, debris flows, and submarine
landslides.

I'll show results of some recent benchmarking studies and from
efforts to compare proposed earthquake mechanisms for the
11 March 2011 Great Tohoku Tsunami.

See www.clawpack.org/geoclaw for software and recent publications.