A Possible Submarine Landslide and Associated Tsunami at the Northwest Nile Delta, Mediterranean Sea

A hypothetical landslide tsunami at the Nile Delta in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is modeled in order to study hazards it would pose to the region. The methodology used is based on numerical simulation of the generation and propagation of a realistic landslide scenario. The volume of the landslide source is 41 km', located offshore northern Egypt. The maximum simulated wave heights along the northern, southern, and eastern coasts in the region are in the range of 1-12, 1-6.5, and 0.5-3 m, respectively. The maximum tsunami current velocity along the coasts reaches 2-5 m s(-1). Simulations show that bathymetric features in the region and the coastal morphology focus the maximum tsunami waves into some specific paths along which the largest tsunami runup heights occur. The semi-enclosed nature of the eastern Mediterranean causes wave reflections, which result in wave trains arriving at every coastal site. In some CO Ae largest simulated wave belongs to the second wave reflection is responsible for this wave. Based on the results, deployment of a netwosiEc cola- v ater pressure gauges may help in detection. and ear warning of possible landslide-generated tsunamis in the Eastern Mediterranean.