Tsunami run‐up along the Zihuatanejo region, Mexican Pacific Coast: A modelling study

In this study, a numerical hydrodynamic model was applied to Zihuatanejo Bay on the Mexican Coast of the Pacific Ocean to study the heights and arrival times of tsunamis produced by hypothetical 8.0 Mw earthquake with an epicenter at 16.9718°N–101.973°W. Possible flooding in Zihuatanejo Bay is only assessed for tsunami with local origin generated in the area of the Cocos Plate.

The tsunami wave takes 18 min to arrive to Zihuatanejo Coast. The maximum height at the coast of 10 m occurs after 20 min and 30 s, and the maximum flooding occurs after 22 min, extending 400 m inland and affecting restaurants, hotels, banks, schools, businesses, museums, and even the municipal market of the city, which are within areas with a high population.

The Zihuatanejo region is impacted on some occasions by hurricanes, distant waves produced by storms in the southern hemisphere and high astronomical tides. A scenario of maximum risk is to consider the effect of the swell of hurricanes, plus distant waves and spring tides, this type of conditions should be considered in future numerical experiments to improve the delimitation of safety zones for the population.