Tsunami propagation from the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake across the Sea of Japan: observations and modelling

Tsunami propagation across the Sea of Japan is of critical importance due to its semi-enclosed nature as tsunamis are expected to undergo multiple reflections and exhibit long oscillations. We analysed the sea level oscillations at 37 tide gauges in Japan, Russia and Korea following the Noto Peninsula tsunami on January 1st, 2024. Numerical modelling of the tsunami was conducted using three different source models and the simulations were compared with tide gauge observations. The longest tsunami duration was 51 h in the southern part of the sea. We divided the Sea of Japan into five zones and studied the tsunami waveforms at the tide gauges in each zone. In northwestern Honshu and southern Hokkaido, wave height above tidal sea level peaked at 34 cm in Fukaura. In Primorye, Russia, waves reached 34 cm in Preobrazheniye. The results show that, apart from the nearest location, the highest wave was recorded on the coast of South Korea, measuring 82 cm in Mukho.