Forecasting Landslide Generated Tsunamis: a Review

The present chapter aims at reviewing the available engineering tools that can be used to estimate the features of generated waves and their effects on boundaries, i.e. wave run-up and, in the case of reservoirs, dam overtopping. The topic is intimately related to experimental investigations carried out in the past aimed at defining empirical formulations. Indeed, when forecasting of impulse waves features and effects is needed in a particular real case, it is possible to (i) build the specific hydraulic model,in which the topography of the area of the probable landslide and of the water body are reproduced or (ii) refer to the results of well known basic research experiments performed under idealized assumptions, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, intended to be representative of real cases. Due to the limited number of pages, only generation and propagation of impulse waves are described in depth.