The 17 July 2006 Tsunami Along the South Coast of Java, Indonesia: Field Survey and Near Field Tsunami Simulation

The 17th July 2006, a tsunami struck the southern coast of Java, Indonesia. The triggering earthquake at 15:19 WIB was located about 200 km south from Pangandaran (9°24S-117°36E), with a magnitude reaching M_w = 7.7. In order to calibrate numerical models, field surveys were conducted by a team divided into threee groups - from the French CNRS and the Indonesian Research Center for Disasters - from Pangandaran district in West Java to Gunungkidul district in Central Java. The surveys began the day after the tsunami and lasted more than one month. Data collection involved measurements of the wave height and runup, inundation depth, flow direction, and chronology of the tsunami event. Two main waves were reported by eyewitnesses' accounts. The second wave reached locally 8 to 11 m high before its breaking at several sites. Depending on the nearshore topography, this wave broke either nearshore, on the beaches or up to 100 meters inland. Local runups up to 15 m asl were measured on cliffs at Nusa Kambangan Island. Inundation depth usually ranged 2 to 3 m from ground. The tsunami arrival time has been recorded precisely at several locations owing to good recorders: a clock which stopped working when struck by the tsunami, pictures taken by testimonies, or a video movie at the Cilacap power plant construction. The first wave reached the whole coast between Pangandaran and pantai Ayah between 16:15 and 16:20 WIB, one hour after the earthquake. Further East, Baron Beach in Central Java was struck around 16:30 WIB, and the tide gauge at Benoa (Bali) recorded the tsunami at 17:00 WIB. We discuss the source of the tsunami in trying several seismological models used to trigger the waves and compute their impact onland. We particularly stress on the tsunami effect in the Cilacap area where detailed bathymetric and topographic data have been used to refine the modeling. When compared to the high amplitudes measured, the results provide indications on the most realistic source involved.