Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Geophysics (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Advisor 1
Gregory P. Waite
Committee Member 1
Luke J. Bowman
Committee Member 2
Simon A. Carn
Abstract
The mechanisms behind the formation and propagation of meteotsunamis and seiches—anomalous water waves generated by meteorological events that share similar spatial, temporal, and behavioral characteristics with seismically-generated tsunamis—are poorly understood. Small-scale ground tilt (microradians-nanoradians) triggered by these anomalous water waves in Lake Michigan is investigated with an array of 10 near-shore (< 100 km) seismometers installed from 2012-2014 by calculating tilt from seismic recordings and comparing it with data from relatively nearby (10s of km) NOAA water level stations in Holland and Ludington, Michigan. After determining an appropriate period band from 15 minutes to four days to isolate these events, we show that potential meteotsunami and seiche activity on eastern Lake Michigan can be deduced from long-term trends (multiple weeks) in tilt and water level time series. Exploratory in nature, the methods and observations presented in this paper serve as an initial step in quantifying the potential for nearshore seismometers to monitor shoreline inundation. Integrating these observations with meteorological data could provide insights into the origins of these hazards by linking them to the specific weather events that generated them. This approach offers a novel method for improving the understanding and potential future mitigation of meteotsunami and seiche impacts in the Great Lakes region.
Recommended Citation
Lowney, Bryan, "A SEISMOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUND DEFORMATION FROM METEOTSUNAMI AND SEICHE ACTIVITY ON LAKE MICHIGAN", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2025.