MUSCL vs MOOD techniques to solve the SWE in the framework of tsunami events

Abstract

The risk mitigation associated with tsunami events needs robust and accurate numerical tools to provide realistic solutions. We propose a comparative study between the efficiency of a finite volume numerical code, with second-order discretization in space and time, equipped with two different techniques to solve the non-conservative shallow-water equations: 1) the MUSCL (Monotonic Upstream-Centered Scheme for Conservation Laws) and, 2) the MOOD (Multi-dimensional Optimal Order Detection). A benchmarking process is carried out to validate the code. A one-dimensional simulation is performed to compare the MUSCL method equipped with the van Leer limiter, and the MOOD technique. We show that: 1) the quality of the solution may genuinely interfere with the scenario one wants to assess and, 2) the numerical tool equipped with the MOOD technique provides better solutions in comparison with the MUSCL results. At last, we apply and compare the two techniques to the real-case scenario Tohoku-Oki (Japan), 2011 tsunami.