Science · 202601
SWOT & near-trench tsunami generation
SWOT observations of the 2025 Kamchatka tsunami provide a strong constraint on dispersive, near-trench tsunamigenesis.
Research
Research & publications
Selected research themes and refereed publications from the SDSU Coastal Engineering Lab.
Research
Research areas
The lab's research is organized into four broad areas. Open a topic for detailed studies, methods, figures, and publications.
Extreme events
Tsunami
Earthquake, landslide, volcanic, meteorological and satellite-observed tsunamis, from source generation to coastal response.
Explore Tsunami → Risk & probabilityUncertainty & PTHA
Probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment, uncertain earthquake sources, bathymetry, tides, and climate-driven sea-level rise.
Explore Uncertainty → Measurements & observationsSensing
GNSS-IR, ocean-bottom pressure, InSAR, field surveys, citizen observations, and other in-situ and space-based measurements.
Explore Sensing → Applied engineeringOther Studies
Hydrodynamic modeling, tidal-flow design studies, and engineering analyses beyond the primary research themes.
Explore Other Studies →Featured research
Selected research highlights
Selected studies from across the research areas, highlighted for their current scientific relevance.
Volcanic tsunamis02
Atmospheric waves, global winds & volcanic tsunami generation
The 2022 Tonga event motivates research on planetary-scale Lamb waves, atmospheric forcing, and volcanic-tsunami propagation.
PTHA03
Probabilistic tsunami hazard under uncertainty & sea-level rise
Methods quantify uncertainty in earthquake sources and extend tsunami hazard assessment to tides and climate-driven sea-level rise.
GNSS-IR04
Simultaneous water-level & wave measurements from GNSS reflections
Reflected GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo signals are used for coastal water-level and wave measurements with geodetic GNSS antennas.
Selected refereed articles
Publications by research theme
Selected from the current CV and grouped by the four featured themes.
01
Satellite tsunami observations
SWOT & tsunami observations
Sepulveda, I., Nilsson, B., Du, Y., Carvajal, M., Brandin, M., Gabriel, A., & Sandwell, D.
SWOT detects dispersive tsunami tied to near-trench tsunamigenesis in 2025 Kamchatka earthquake. Science.
02
Atmospheric forcing
Volcanic tsunamis
Sepúlveda, I., Carvajal, M., & Agnew, D. C.
Global Winds Shape Planetary-Scale Lamb Waves. Geophysical Research Letters, 50(19), e2023GL106097.
Carvajal, M., Sepúlveda, I., Gubler, A., & Garreaud, R.
Worldwide signature of the 2022 Tonga volcanic tsunami. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(6), e2022GL098153.
03
Risk & uncertainty
Probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment
Sepúlveda, I., & Mosqueda, A.
Climate-driven sea level rise exacerbates Alaskan and Cascadian tsunami hazards in Southern California: Implications to design parameters. Earth's Future.
Sepúlveda, I., Liu, P. L. F., Grigoriu, M., Haase, J. S., & Winckler, P.
Non-Stationary Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessments Compounding Tides and Sea Level Rise. Earth's Future, 10(11), e2022EF002965.
Sepúlveda, I., Haase, J. S., Liu, P. L. F., Grigoriu, M., & Winckler, P.
Non-stationary probabilistic tsunami hazard assessments incorporating climate-change-driven sea level rise. Earth's Future, 9(6), e2021EF002007.
Sepúlveda, I., Liu, P. L. F., & Grigoriu, M.
Probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment in South China Sea with consideration of uncertain earthquake characteristics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124(1), 658–688.
Sepulveda, I., Liu, P. L. F., Grigoriu, M., & Pritchard, M.
Tsunami hazard assessments with consideration of uncertain earthquake slip distribution and location. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 122(9), 7252–7271.
04
Coastal sensing
GNSS interferometric reflectometry
Sepúlveda, I., Cao, B., Haase, J. S., & Murphy Jr, M. J.
Optimizing Simultaneous Water Level and Wave Measurements From Multi-GNSS Interferometric Reflectometry Over 1 Year at an Exposed Coastal Site. Earth and Space Science, 10(6), e2022EA002767.