Climate-Induced Mass Redistribution, Tectonic Plate Dynamics, and Advanced Mitigation via Tuned Mass Dampers

Accelerated anthropogenic global warming has escalated polar ice sheet melting in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, driving massive transfers of mass from continental landmasses into oceanic basins. This large-scale spatial redistribution of mass triggers glacial isostatic adjustment (isostatic rebound) and fundamentally alters stress fields along coastal tectonic fault lines. Coupled with ocean-atmosphere dynamics, increased hydrostatic loading on ocean floors and elevated pore fluid pressure within coastal fault zones significantly lower the threshold for seismic failure, elevating the risk of 7+ Magnitude earthquakes. To safeguard coastal infrastructure against these emerging seismic threats, structural engineering must evolve toward 8+ Magnitude earthquake resilience. This paper provides a comprehensive review of mass redistribution dynamics, structural design paradigms in high-seismic regions (comparing Japanese and Chilean engineering strategies), and a rigorous mathematical formulation of Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) systems based on 2-DOF Mass-Spring-Damper dynamics and Den Hartog's optimal tuning criteria.