The need and the opportunity to study the economic impact of tsunamis on Spanish coasts

This paper explores the causes of tsunamis, methods to model their effects, and the assessment of their probability and impacts in Spain.

According to the paper, although 10% of tsunami events are concentrated in the Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean Sea), in the Mediterranean the figure is approximately 13%. This is significant because, when put into perspective, the Mediterranean is 70 times smaller than the Pacific Ocean, meaning that, per unit of area, the Mediterranean Sea is more tsunamigenic than the Ring of Fire. 

In response to this fact and the recollection of the 1755 Lisbon tsunami, the paper evaluates the potential risk and impact of each tsunami mechanism within the context of the Spainish coastline.