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On 22 December 2018, a tsunami was generated from the Mount Anak Krakatau area that was caused by volcanic flank failures. The tsunami had severe impacts on the western coast of Banten and the southern coasts of Lampung in Indonesia. A series of surveys to measure the impacts of the tsunami was started 3 d after the tsunami and lasted for 10 d. Immediate investigations allowed the collection of relatively authentic images of the tsunami impacts before the clearing process started. This article investigates the impacts of the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami on the affected areas and presents an analysis of the impacts of pure hydrodynamic tsunami forces on buildings. Impacts of the tsunami were expected to exhibit different characteristics than those found following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh. Data were collected from 117 flow depths along the Banten and Lampung coasts. Furthermore, 98 buildings or houses were assessed for damage. Results of this study revealed that the flow depths were higher in Banten than in Lampung. Directions of the tsunami arrays created by the complex bathymetry around the strait caused these differences. Tsunami-induced damage to buildings was mostly the result of impact forces and drag forces. Damping forces could not be associated with the damage. The tsunami warning system in Indonesia should be extended to anticipate non-seismic tsunamis, such as landslides and volcanic processes driven by tsunamis. The lack of a tsunami warning during the first few minutes after the generation of the first wave led to a significant number of human casualties in both of the affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 22 December 2018, a tsunami was generated from the Mount Anak Krakatau area that was caused by volcanic flank failures. The tsunami had severe impacts on the western coast of Banten and the southern coasts of Lampung in Indonesia. A series of surveys to measure the impacts of the tsunami was started three days after the tsunami and lasted ten days. Immediate investigations allowed the collection of relatively authentic images of the tsunami impacts before the clearing process started. This article investigates the impacts of the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami on the affected areas and presents an analysis of the impacts of pure hydrodynamic tsunami forces on buildings. Impacts of the tsunami were expected to exhibit different characteristics than those found following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh. Data was collected from 117 flow depths along the Banten and Lampung coasts. Furthermore, 98 buildings or houses were assessed for damage. Results of this study revealed that the flow depths were higher in Banten than in Lampung. Directions of the tsunami arrays created by the complex bathymetry around the strait caused these differences. Tsunami-induced damage to buildings was mostly the result of impact forces and drag forces. Damping forces could not be associated with the damages. The tsunami warning system in Indonesia should be extended to anticipate non-seismic tsunamis, such as landslides and volcanic processes driven by tsunamis. Lack of a tsunami warning during the first few minutes after the generation of the first wave led to a significant number of human casualties at both of the affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex structures of the prop root system of the mangrove genus Rhizophora attenuate storm surges and tsunamis and promote sedimentation. While quantification of the mangrove's drag force is essential for assessing the mangroves' ability to reduce the risk of disaster and vulnerability to rising sea-level, the projected area of prop root system having multiple orders of prop roots (e.g., first-, second-, and third-order prop roots, where the root order indicates the level of branching from the stem) are still unexplored. To contribute to the quantitative evaluation of the mangrove's drag force, we investigated the vertical profile of whole-tree prop root projected area and the number of prop roots of 156 trees sampled from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan. Our results showed that prop roots above the first-order contribute up to 80% of the whole-tree prop root projected area, highlighting the importance of the presence of second-, third-, and even higher-order prop roots on the drag force exerted by mangroves. Based on field data, an empirical model for the prop root system, described by a scaling factor (S), and maximum and minimum root heights (HR max , HR min), was developed by assuming that the size distribution of prop roots follows a constant scaling factor S. S and HR max showed significant correlations with stem diameter at breast height suggesting the scaling relations in the prop root system. The model, which employs the site- and species-specific regression models for S and HR max , reproduced the vertical distribution of the number of prop roots – a good predictor of the prop root projected area – with reasonable accuracy. However, the site- and species-specific scaling relations are highly variable depending on the environment, suggesting morphological plasticity in the prop root system. Rhizophora trees that grow on a shallow sediment layer (around 0.1 m thickness) tend to produce more prop roots compared with those on a thicker sediment layer suggesting a morphological response of the prop root system to increase below-ground root biomass where below-ground root development is physically constrained. Multivariate analysis indicated that hard substrate also possibly contributes to higher complexity of prop root system. However, prediction of the site- and species-specific scaling relations from these environmental variables still needs to be improved. Further research is needed to explain the mechanisms of morphological response of prop root systems to environmental gradients and to establish a generalized model for predicting the prop root system in various environments. • The complex structures of the mangrove prop root system were investigated. • Prop roots above first-order contribute up to 80% of whole-tree root frontal area. • An empirical model for vertical profile of the number of prop roots was developed. • Highly site-specific scaling relations were found in prop root system. • Site variation in the scaling relations is mostly explained by sediment thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]