MAVROULIS, S., MAVROULI, M., LEKKAS, E., TSAKRIS, A. (2017). – Impact of earthquake-induced tsunamis on public health. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 19, EGU2017-3890, EGU General Assembly 2017.

Tsunamis are caused by rapid sea floor displacement during earthquakes, landslides and large explosive eruptions in marine environment setting. Massive amounts of sea water in the form of devastating surface waves travelling hundreds of kilometers per hour have the potential to cause extensive damage to coastal infrastructures, consider- able loss of life and injury and emergence of infectious diseases (ID).
This study involved an extensive and systematic literature review of 50 research publications related to public health impact of the three most devastating tsunamis of the last 12 years induced by great earthquakes, namely the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (moment magnitude Mw 9.2), the 2009 Samoa earthquake (Mw 8.1) and the 2011 To¯hoku (Japan) earthquake (Mw 9.0) in the Indian, Western Pacific and South Pacific Oceans respectively. The inclusion criteria were literature type comprising journal articles and official reports, natural disaster type including tsunamis induced only by earthquakes, population type including humans, and outcome measure characterized by disease incidence increase.