# A Database for Tsunamis and Meteotsunamis in the Adriatic Sea
## 2 Tsunamis and Meteotsunamis in the Adriatic Region  
Among the various natural hazards to which the Adriatic coasts are exposed, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), as a partner of PMO-GATE, has focussed its efforts on tsunamis and meteotsunamis with the aim of developing and implementing a database of these events: DAMT. The geographical position of the Adriatic region is peculiar. It lies between the Apennine and Dinaric mountain chains, and it is mostly surrounded by active fold-and-thrust belts and strike-slip faults [6; 7; 8]. The presence of microplates and the complex system of faults in the area explain the seismicity which affects the Adriatic region. Both Italy and Croatia experienced several earthquakes in the past, and a large number of studies were carried out with the aim of better assessing the seismicity of this region. It has been underlined that historical seismicity is poorly documented, and the Adriatic Sea is characterized by quite low seismic activity mainly consisting of earthquakes of moderate magnitudes, but important seismic sequences with main shocks of relevant magnitudes have also been observed [9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16]. Frequent earthquakes occur along the well-known fault zones, most of which run close to the coastlines or in the open sea and are thus potential sources for tsunamis [17]. In the Adriatic region, the strongest earthquakes (M > 7) have occurred near the eastern margin of the central Adriatic Sea and at the southern end of the basin near the Ionian Islands. The majority of the remaining structures are potentially capable of generating earthquakes of magnitudes \(6\leq\) M \(\leq\) 7, therefore having significant potential for causing tsunamis [6]. Tsunami is a well-known term mainly used in reference to earthquakes generated ocean waves, and they have a typical period range from a few to tens of minutes to hours. As they approach the coast, these waves can produce severe damage to coastal structures and can cause loss of human life. Tsunamis are usually generated by submarine earthquakes. However, as the literature demonstrates, in the Adriatic region, as well as along the other Italian coasts, tsunamigenic sources are located both offshore and very close to the coast [1,18]. In this region, a number of tsunamis related to earthquake activity were observed [1,2,18-26]. Most of them had low intensities, but a few events, such as the 1627 Gargano and 1930 Ancona tsunamis, were classified as \"very strong\". Italian tsunamis are quite well-documented, and tsunami effects have been observed in many places from the northern to the southern Adriatic region, while in Croatia, tsunami effects have been reported along the northern and southern coasts, with no evidence along the central coast of the country. In Montenegro, tsunamis have been located along the whole coast, and along the Albanian coast, they were mainly located in the area of Valona. Twelve Adriatic tsunamis originated along the Italian coasts, being observed from 1348 to 1930 [18]. Tsunamis generated in the eastern Adriatic region are less frequent; four tsunamis, mainly of low intensities, were ascertained to have occurred since 1667 along the Croatian coast, while the Montenegro coast has been affected by three events since 1667. Six tsunamis have occurred along the Albanian coasts since 1833, all of which were concentrated in the coastal area of Valona. The Croatian coast is much more prone to meteotsunamis, which are meteorologically generated long ocean waves with characteristics similar to those of tsunamis, and they represent a significant hazard for the eastern Adriatic coast [23-25]. Meteotsunamis are formed by storm systems moving rapidly across the water, such as a squall line, and their development depends on several factors such as the intensity, direction and speed of the disturbance as it travels over a water body [23-25]. They can affect localized areas when they reach land.