Oman Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

Abstract

In August 2005, a team surveyed the effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on the southern coast of Oman. Runup and inundation were obtained at 41 sites, extending over a total of 750 km of shoreline. Measured runup ranged from 3.25 m in the vicinity of Salalah to a negligible value at one location on Masirah Island. In general, the largest values were found in the western part of the surveyed area. Significant incidents were documented in the port of Salalah, where a 285-m-long vessel broke its moorings and drifted inside and outside the port, and another ship struck the breakwater while attempting to enter the harbor. The general hazard to Oman from tsunamis may be greatest from the neighboring Makran subduction zone in western Pakistan.