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Science Response 2012/037

Modelling Tsunamis associated with recently identified slope failures in Douglas Channel

Context

Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Ltd. has proposed to construct and operate the infrastructure for the conveyance and export of diluted bitumen from Alberta to overseas markets and import of petroleum condensates for use in oil sands production.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is participating in an environmental assessment by a Joint Review Panel environmental assessment. A Joint Review Panel is an independent body, mandated by the Minister of the Environment and the National Energy Board. The Panel will assess the environmental effects of the proposed project and review the application under both the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the National Energy Board Act.

On August 17, 2012, a Notice of Motion of the Attorney General of Canada Seeking to Tender Supplementary Written Evidence was filed and subsequently granted with the Joint Review Panel “Respecting Two Previously Unrecognized Submarine Slope Failures in the Douglas Channel and A Future Additional Assessment of the Tsunami Potential Associate with these Two Slope Failures”. DFO Science, Pacific Region was requested to provide an additional assessment consisting of modeling of the wave heights and speeds that may have resulted from two previously unrecognized submarine slope failures in the Douglas Channel. This analysis will be provided to the Panel and parties before the Panel to ensure they have the most up to date information of geo-hazards in Douglas Chanel. Due to the urgency of the request a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Special Response Process (SSRP) was utilized to provide this information.

Specifically, the objective of this assessment is to provide an analysis of numerically simulated tsunami wave heights, current speeds, wave periods, and wave propagation times that would have been generated from a slide of material from the recently identified submarine slope failures in Douglas Channel.

This Science Response report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Regional Science Special Response Process (SSRP) of October 29th, 2012. All material contained herein is based on the technical publication Thomson et al. 2012. Numerical simulation of tsunamis generated by submarine slope failures in Douglas Channel, British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2012/115.

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