Yoshiki Yamazaki

Assistant Researcher

Water wave mechanics and coastal processes, Tsunami source mechanism, Computational method and tsunami numerical model development, Coastal hazard assessment and mitigation

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Professional Qualifications

  • Ph.D., Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2010
  • M.S., Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2004
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan, 1996

Professional Experience

  • Assistant Researcher, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018 – present
  • Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2010 – 2018
  • Visiting Researcher, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Summer 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009
  • University of Hawaii Sea Grant Trainee, 2005–2010
  • Research Assistant, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003–2010
  • Operations Engineer, Ueshima Coffee Company, Kobe, Japan, 1996–2001

Publications

Peer-reviewed journal papers

Yamashita, K., Yamazaki, Y., Bai, Y., Takahashi, T., Imamura, F., and Cheung, K.F. (2022). Modeling of sediment transport in rapidly-varying flow for coastal morphological changes caused by tsunamis. Marine Geology, 449, 106823, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2022.106823. 

Cheung, K.F., Lay, T., Sun, L., and Yamazaki, Y. (2022). Tsunami size variability with rupture depth. Nature Geoscience, 15, 33-36. 

Yamazaki, Y., Lay, T., and Cheung, K.F. (2021). A compound faulting model for the 1975 Kalapana, Hawaii, earthquake, landslide and tsunami. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126(11), e2020JB022488, doi:10.1029/2021J B022488.

Ye, L., Lay, T., Kanamori, H., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2021). The 22 July 2020 MW 7.8 Shumagin seismic gap earthquake: partial rupture of a weakly coupled megathrust, Earth and Planetary Science Letter. 562, 116879, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116879. 

Larson, K.M., Lay, T., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Ye, L., Simon D. P. Williams, S.D.P., and Davis, J.L. (2020). Dynamic sea level variation from GNSS: 2020 Shumagin Earthquake Tsunami resonance and Hurricane Laura. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(4), e2020GL091378, doi:10.1029/2020GL091378.

Bosserelle, C., Williams, S., Cheung, K.F., Lay, T., Yamazaki, Y., Simi, T., Roeber, V., Lane, E., Paulik, R., and Simanu, L. (2020). Effects of source faulting and fringing reefs on the 2009 South Pacific Tsunami inundation in Southeast Upolu, Samoa. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(12), e2020JC016537, doi:10.1029/2020JC016537.

Wood, N., Jones, J.M., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Brown, J., Jones, J.L., and Abdollahian, N. (2019). Population vulnerability to tsunami hazards informed by previous and projected disasters: a case study of American Samoa. Natural Hazards, 95(3), 505-528.

Bai, Y., Ye, L., Yamazaki, Y., Lay, T., and Cheung, K.F. (2018). The 4 May 2018 Mw 6.9 Hawaii Island earthquake and implications for tsunami hazards. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(20), 11040-11049.

Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., and Lay, T. (2018). A self-consistent fault-slip model for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 123(2), 1435-1458.

Bai, Y., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2018). Amplification of drawdown and runup over Hawaii’s insular shelves by tsunami N-waves from mega Aleutian earthquakes. Ocean Modelling, 124, 61-74.

Li, N., Yamazaki, Y., Roeber, V., Cheung, K.F., and Chock, G. (2018). Probabilistic mapping of storm-induced coastal inundation for climate change adaption, Coastal Engineering, 133, 126-141.

Bai, Y., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2018). Convergence of multilayer nonhydrostatic models in relation to Boussinesq-type equations, Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, 14(2), 06018001-1.

Lynett, P.J., …, Yamazaki, Y., Zaytsev, A., and Zhang, Y.J. (2017). Inter-model analysis of tsunami-induced coastal currents. Ocean Modelling, 114, 14-32.

Bai, Y., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2015). Interconnection of multi-scale standing waves across the Pacific Basin from the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, Ocean Modelling, 92, 183-197.

Yue, H., Lay, T., Li, L., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Rivera, L., Hill, E.M., and Sieh, K. (2015). Validation of linearity assumptions for using tsunami waveforms in joint inversion of kinematic rupture models: Application to the 2010 Mentawai Mw 7.8 tsunami earthquake, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 120(3), 1728-1747.

Bai, Y., Cheung, K.F., Yamazaki, Y., Lay, T., and Ye, L.  (2014). Tsunami surges around the Hawaiian Islands from the 1 April 2014 North Chile Mw8.1 earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(23), 8512-8521.

Li, N., Roeber, V., Yamazaki, Y., Heitmann, T.W., Bai, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2014). Integration of coastal inundation modeling from storm tides to individual waves, Ocean Modelling, 83, 26-42.

Yue, H., Lay, T., Rivera, L., Bai, Y., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Hill, E.M., Sieh, K., Kongko, W., and Muhari, A. (2014). Rupture process of the 2010 Mw 7.8 Mentawai tsunami earthquake from joint inversion of near-field hr-GPS and teleseismic body wave recordings constrained by tsunami observations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 119(7), 5574-5593.

Aránguiz, R., Shibayama, T., and Yamazaki, Y. (2014). Tsunamis from the Arica-Tocopilla source region and their effects on ports of Central Chile. Natural Hazards,71(1), 175-202.

Cheung, K.F., Bai, Y., and Yamazaki, Y. (2014). Surges around the Hawaiian Islands from the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans,118(10), 5703-5719.

Lay, T., Ye, L., Kanamori, H., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., and Ammon, C.J. (2013). The February 6, 2013 Mw 8.0 Santa Cruz Islands earthquake and tsunami. Tectonophysics,608, 1109-1121.

Lay, T., Ye, L., Kanamori, H., Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Kwong, K., and Koper, K.D. (2013). The October 28, 2012 Mw 7.8 Haida Gwaii underthrusting earthquake and tsunami; Slip partitioning along the Queen Charlotte Fault transpressional plate boundary. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 375, 57-70.

Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., and Lay, T. (2013). Modeling of the 2011 Tohoku near-field tsunami from finite-fault inversion of seismic waves. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America,103(2B), 1444-1455.

Romano, F., Piatanesti, A., Lorito, S., D’Agostino, N., Hirata, K., Atzori, S., Yamazaki, Y., and Cocco, M. (2012). Clues from inversion of tsunami and geodetic data of the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, Scientific Reports, 2, 709, doi:10.1038/srep00385.

Olsen, M.J., Cheung, K.F., Yamazaki, Y., Butcher, S., Garlock, M., Yim, S.C., Piaskowy, S., Robertson, I.N., Burgos, L., and Young, Y.L. (2012). Damage assessment of the 2010 Chile earthquake and tsunami using terrestrial laser scanning. Earthquake Spectra,28(S1), S179-S197.

Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Pawlak, G., and Lay T. (2012). Surges along the Honolulu coast from the 2010 Tohoku tsunami. Geophysical Research Letters, 39(9), L09604, doi:10.1029/2012GL051624.

Yamazaki, Y., Lay, T., Cheung, K.F., Yue, H., and Kanamori, H. (2011). Modeling near-field tsunami observations to improve finite-fault slip models for the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(7), L00G15, doi:10.1029/2011GL049130.

Lay, T., Yamazaki, Y., Ammon, C.J., Cheung, K.F., and Kanamori, H. (2011). The great 2011 Tohoku-oki (Mw 9.0) earthquake: Comparison of deep-water tsunami signals with finite-fault rapture model predications. Earth, Planets, and Space, 63(7), 797-801.

Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2011). Shelf resonance and impact of near-field tsunami generated by the 2010 Chile Earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(12), L12605, doi: 10.1029/2011GL047508.

Cheung, K.F., Wei, Y., Yamazaki, Y., and Yim, S.C. (2011). Modeling of 500-year tsunamis for probabilistic design of coastal infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest. Coastal Engineering,58(10), 970-985.

Lay, T., Ammon, C.J., Kanamori, H., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2011). The 25 October 2010 Mentawai tsunami earthquake (Mw 7.8) and the tsunami hazard presented by shallow megathrust ruptures. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(6), L06302, doi: 10.1029/2010GL046552.

Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., and Kowalik, Z. (2011). Depth-integrated, non-hydrostatic model with grid nesting for tsunami generation, propagation, and run-up. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 67(12), 2081-2107.

Roeber, V., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2010). Resonance and impact of the 2009 Samoa Tsunami around Tutuila, American Samoa. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(21), L21604, doi: 10.1029/2010GL044419.

Yamazaki, Y., Kowalik, Z., and Cheung, K.F. (2009). Depth-integrated, non-hydrostatic model for wave breaking and run-up. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 61(5), 473-497.

Namekar, S., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2009). Neural network for tsunami and runup forecast. Geophysical Research Letter, 36(8), L08604, doi: 10.1029/2009 GL037184.

Yamazaki, Y., Wei, Y., Cheung, K.F., and Curtis, G.D., (2006). Forecast of tsunamis from the Japan-Kuril-Kamchatka source region. Natural Hazards, 38(3), 411-435.

Proceedings

Bai, Y., Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2015). NEOWAVE Benchmark Results. In Proceedings and Results of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) 2015 Tsunami Current Modeling Workshop, Portland, pp. 165-177.

Yamazaki, Y., and Cheung, K.F. (2014). Development and implementation of NEOWAVE for tsunami hazard assessment, In Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium of Maritime Sciences, Kobe, Japan, November 2014.

Yim, S.C., Cheung, K.F., Olsen, M.J., and Yamazaki, Y. (2012). Tohoku tsunami survey, modeling and probabilistic load estimation applications. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Engineering Lessons Learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Tokyo, Japan, March 2012.

Yamazaki, Y., Cheung, K.F., Kowalik, Z., Pawlak, G., and Lay T. (2012). NEOWAVE. In Proceedings and Results of the 2011 National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) Model Benchmarking Workshop, Boulder: U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA/NTHMP; (NOAA Special Report), pp. 239-302.

Yamazaki, Y., Roeber, V., Cheung, K.F., and Lay, T. (2012). Modeling the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami and its impacts on Hawaii, In Proceedings of the MTS/IEEE OCEANS 2011, Hawaii, September 2011.

Research Grants

Cheung, K.F. (PI) and Yamazaki, Y. (Co-PI). “Modeling and Mapping of Destructive Tsunamis at Hawaii’s Harbors: Kahului and Kaunakakai” funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA22HIEMA0001 via Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, 2022 – 2023

Yamazaki, Y. (PI). “Local Tsunamis Impact Assessment for Probable Maximum Earthquakes inferred from USGS Hawaii Seismic Hazard Model” funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA22HIEMA0003 via Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, 2022 – 2023

Cheung, K.F. (PI) and Yamazaki, Y. (Co-PI). “Modeling and Mapping of Destructive Tsunamis at Hawaii’s Harbors: Hilo and Kawaihae” funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA21HIEMA0001 via Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, 2021 – 2023

Cheung, K.F. (PI) and Yamazaki, Y. (Co-PI). “Modeling and Mapping of Destructive Tsunamis at Hawaii’s Harbors: Honolulu and Kalaeloa” funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA20NWS4670063 via Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, 2020 – 2022

Cheung, K.F. (PI) and Yamazaki, Y. (Co-PI). “Tsunami Safety Products for Kaunakakai Harbor on Molokai and Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai” funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA19NWS4670012 via Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, 2019 – 2021

Yamazaki, Y. (PI). “Impacts of Local Tsunamis in Hawaii – Development of probable maximum scenarios” funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA19NWS4670012 via Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, 2019 – 2021

Cheung, K.F. (PI) and Yamazaki, Y. (Co-PI). “Tsunami Safety Products for Pearl Harbor, Oahu” funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA18NWS4670075 via Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, 2017 – 2019

Yamazaki, Y. (PI). “Tsunami Mapping of the southern portion of the Island of Hawaiʻi” funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant No. NA17NWS4670012 via Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, 2018 – 2019

Services/Professional Activities

  • Member, Hawaii Earthquake and Tsunami Advisory Committee (HETAC), 2023 – present
  • Member and Trainer, Hawaii Tsunami Observer Program, 2013 – 2019.

Awards and Honors

  • Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2009 – 2010