GENERATION OF UNUSUALLY LARGE RUNUP EVENTS

Abstract

We present an examination of unusually large runup events that were observed on January 16, 2016 on the west coast of the United States. Although these events resemble small tsunamis, no earthquake or significant atmospheric disturbances were observed during this time. Coincidental observations of long and rapidly increasing peak wave periods and moderately large wave heights both on- and off-shelf suggest that long and large swells generated by distant storms were possibly the cause of these events.