Research Shows Buildings can Amplify Tsunami Waves

Scientists have re-created an entire city in miniature to model the way a tsunami crashes onshore, and have found that buildings can exacerbate the oncoming rush of water.

The findings, presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, show that even if a city overall tolerates the force of a massive tsunami well, certain buildings and alleyways may concentrate the rushing wave, generating 80 to 100 times the speed of waves without buildings.

"When we think about designing structures or planning for city layouts, understanding the real, detailed tsunami flow through the built environment is very, very important," said study co-author Patrick Lynett, a civil engineer at the University of Southern California.

In the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 Japanese tsunami, building engineers routinely noticed that there were often two buildings standing, while one located in the middle behind it was completely washed away.

Lynett and his colleagues wanted to understand why that occurred. Such an understanding is particularly important given studies showing that the West Coast is more vulnerable to tsunamis than previously thought.

To understand how a tsunami affects a coastal city, Lynett and his team created a 1:50 scale replica of the entire town of Seaside, Ore. They then flooded it with a simulated tsunami 7.9 inches (20 centimeters) high and 5 seconds long that mimicked the relative height and duration of a 200-year tsunami, Lynett reported.

As water broke over the tiny buildings, the team noticed that certain hotspots concentrated the effects of the waves. A U-shaped hotel on the coast seemed to focus the impact of the tsunami, Lynett said. "We call it the tsunami-catcher because it really amplifies the speed," he said.

Buildings arranged in a T, with two buildings in front of the wave and another building behind them, also seemed to emphasise the wave's impact.

Overall, some parts of the city experienced 80 to 100 times the maximum speed and momentum that would occur without any buildings in the landscape, Lynett added. In addition to T-shaped building layouts, narrow alleyways could lead to much higher speeds of rushing water.

The findings suggest that engineers designing seaside buildings should use some of the same modeling approaches used to assess wind forces on skyscrapers, Lynett said.

"This is an argument here that, when we're trying to understand the fluid flow through a city, shadowing and concentration of fluid flow through the built environment becomes very important."

Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean - British Antarctic Survey

Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have discovered previously unknown volcanoes in the ocean waters around the remote South Sandwich Islands. Using ship-borne sea-floor mapping technology during research cruises onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, the scientists found 12 volcanoes beneath the sea surface — some up to 3km high.

They found 5km diameter craters left by collapsing volcanoes and 7 active volcanoes visible above the sea as a chain of islands. The research is important also for understanding what happens when volcanoes erupt or collapse underwater and their potential for creating serious hazards such as tsunamis.

Also this sub-sea landscape, with its waters warmed by volcanic activity creates a rich habitat for many species of wildlife and adds valuable new insight about life on earth. Sea-floor mapping technology reveals volcanoes beneath the sea surface.

Speaking at the International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences in Edinburgh Dr Phil Leat from British Antarctic Survey said,

“There is so much that we don’t understand about volcanic activity beneath the sea — it’s likely that volcanoes are erupting or collapsing all the time. The technologies that scientists can now use from ships not only give us an opportunity to piece together the story of the evolution of our earth, but they also help shed new light on the development of natural events that pose hazards for people living in more populated regions on the planet.”

Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean - British Antarctic Survey

NASA/University Japan Quake Study Yields Surprises

An overhead model of the estimated fault slip due to the earthquake.

The fault responsible for this earthquake dips under Japan, starting at the Japan Trench indicated by the barbed line, the point of contact between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overriding Okhotsk Plate.

The magnitude of fault slip is indicated by the colour and the contours, at 8-meter intervals.

The question mark indicates the general region where researchers currently lack information about future seismic potential.

Credit: Mark Simons/Caltech Seismological Laboratory

ESA ENVISAT - GPS measurements from Japan earthquake

GPS measurements of the coseismic displacement of the Japan earthquake on 11 March 2011 by GEONET (reference provided by Prof. Hashimoto).

This displacement chart shows the direction of ground movement. This type of in-situ data can be found on the GeoHazard Supersites web site.

Credits: GEONE

ESA ENVISAT: Earth movements from Japan earthquake

Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar coseismic interferogram from descending track 347, processed by JPL/Caltech ARIA project. Data acquired on 19 February and 21 March 2011, spanning the main shock of the magnitude 9 earthquake and several aftershocks that occurred in Japan on 11 March 2011 and the following days (until 21 March).

One colour cycle represents 50 cm of motion in the satellite line of sight (approximately east at 41 degrees from the vertical), i.e. about 35 cm of motion on the ground. The seismicity plot is from the US Geological Survey.

Credits: Based on ESA data - JPL/Caltech ARIA project (E. Fielding, Principal Scientist JPL/Caltech; S. Yun, Research Scientist JPL/Caltech; P. Agram, KISS Postdoctoral Fellow Caltech)

QinetiQ providing Robots to Japan recovery operations

In the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011, the country faces a massive cleanup and rebuilding effort that will take years.

To assist in the dangerous task of clearing hazardous debris that stretches for hundreds of miles along Japan's east coast, the North American arm of global defense technology company QinetiQ has announced it will provide unmanned vehicle equipment and training to aid in the colossal undertaking.

Robotic Appliqué Kits
The equipment includes QinetiQ's Robotic Appliqué Kits that convert standard Bobcat loaders into unmanned vehicles in just 15 minutes.

This allows all of the Bobcat's 70 vehicle attachments, such as shovels, buckets, grapples, tree cutters and tools to break through walls and doors, to be operated remotely from a safe distance of up to one mile (1.6 km) away.

The kits fit a Bobcat with seven cameras, night vision, thermal imagers, microphones, two-way radio systems and radiation sensors to allow operators to safely remove rubble and debris, dig up buried objects and carry smaller equipment.

If needed, QinetiQ says it is also readying TALON and Dragon Runner robots in Japan.

TALON robot
The TALON robots are small, tracked military robots that are equipped with a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) detection kits that can identify more than 7,500 environmental hazards including toxic industrial chemicals, volatile gases, radiation and explosive risks, as well as temperature and air quality indicators.

The robots, which have used in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for search and recovery in Ground Zero after September 11, also provide night vision and sound and sensing capabilities from up to 3,280 ft. (1,000 m) away.

Dragon Runner robot
The smaller and more lightweight Dragon Runner robots are designed for use in small spaces and could be used to investigate spaces too small or dangerous for humans to access, such as rubble piles, trenches, culverts and tunnels.

Light enough to be carried in a backpack, the four-wheeled robot is designed to function any way up and its front-mounted tilting thermal cameras and sound sensors can relay data back to its master controller up to 2,625 ft. (800 m) away.

In addition to the unmanned equipment, QinetiQ North America will also provide a team of technical experts to give training and support to Japan's disaster response personnel.

"We are honored to have this opportunity to support Japan's recovery efforts," said QinetiQ North America Technology Solutions Group President JD Crouch. "Our unmanned vehicles will provide reliable, effective, first responder technology to help protect the brave men and women who are working to save lives and restore critical services."

EOG Satellite picture of Japan's Blackout

It might appear to be glowing with light, but this recently released image shows just how much of northern Japan was left without power the day after a powerful earthquake hit the country.

The picture is actually a composite of two satellite images, one taken in 2010 and one taken on 12 March, 2011.

The yellow colour shows where lights were detected in both years. The red lights are where lights were seen in 2010 but were not visible the day after the earthquake.

Only a handful of lights remain in operation around the city of Sendai and the ravaged coast north-east of Tokyo, which bore the brunt of the tsunami.

The image was taken by an F18 satellite as part of the NOAA EOG US Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.

Large swathes of Japan are still suffering from rolling blackouts and power cuts more than a week on from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.

Japanese Tsunami: Video of houses engulfed

DLR Releases Satellite Images Of Japanese Disaster Area

After the severe earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' was activated on the morning of the 11 March 2011.

All participating institutions were asked to provide satellite imagery of the affected area.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is responding through its Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (Zentrum fur Satellitengestutzte Kriseninformation; ZKI), based at its site in Oberpfaffenhofen.

"The information acquired by the German TerraSAR-X radar satellite and the RapidEye imaging satellites, together with data from the American WorldView-2 satellite, show the extent of the disaster," explains Stefan Voigt, a researcher at DLR.

"The advantage of satellite data is the extensive coverage of the disaster area that it provides. At the same time, we can map details with a spatial resolution of down to 50 centimetres.

In the maps we have compiled, it can be seen that the tsunami penetrated 4-5 kilometres inland. The severe damage to roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure can be clearly seen.

This is important information for rescue workers on the ground. We are working closely with the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk; THW)."

The scientists and engineers at ZKI began working to provide the necessary assistance immediately after the charter was activated. In close coordination with the control centre and commercial satellite operators, the available satellites were tasked for data acquisition over the disaster area.

Since the activation of the charter, an enormous amount of data has been received, processed, analysed, and used to generate the first mapping products; meanwhile, archived data serve as a reference. The damage analysis and situation report are based on the newly acquired satellite images.

Japanese Tsunami: Fukushima No 3 reactor building explosion

An explosion rocked an earthquake-hit nuclear plant Monday, as Japan struggled to avert a catastrophic reactor meltdown caused by a quake and tsunami feared to have killed more than 10,000.

A new tsunami scare triggered evacuations on the devastated northeast coast after a large wave was spotted rolling in to shore, but authorities said they had detected no sign of a tsunami or a quake that would have caused it.

Japan has been battling to control two overheating reactors at the ageing Fukushima plant after the cooling systems were knocked out by Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake and the resulting tsunami that swallowed up whole towns.

Shortly after Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the plant was still in an "alarming" state, a blast at its number-three reactor shook the facility and sent plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.

The plant's operator TEPCO said that nine people were injured in the blast, which authorities said was probably a hydrogen explosion.

The chief government spokesman Yukio Edano said TEPCO reported that the reactor was probably undamaged and there was a low possibility of a major radiation leak at the plant, 250 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

Another explosion blew apart the building surrounding the plant's number-one reactor on Saturday but the seal around the reactor itself remained intact.

Watching the Earth move in Japan park during the earthquake

Explanation of the explosion at the Japan, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and radiation leaks

To read more follow this link

Flooding from Tsunami near Sendai, Japan : NASA Modis Natural Hazards

NASA’s Terra satellite’s first view of northeastern Japan in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami reveal extensive flooding along the coast.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired the top image of the Sendai region on March 12, 2011, at 10:30 a.m.

The lower image, taken by Terra MODIS on February 26, 2011, is provided as a point of reference.
Water is black or dark blue in these images.

It is difficult to see the coastline in the March 12 image, but a thin green line outlines the shore.

This green line is higher-elevation land that is above water, presumably preventing the flood of water from returning to the sea.

The flood indicator on the lower image illustrates how far inland the flood extends.
Both images were made with infrared and visible light, a combination that increases the contrast between muddy water and land. Plant-covered land is green, while snow-covered land is pale blue. Clouds are white and pale blue. The paved surfaces in the city of Sendai colours it brown.
MODIS detected a fire burning near the shore north of Sendai. The fire is marked with a red box. It is also surrounded by floods.
The photo-like true-color image acquired a few hours later shows plumes of sediment washed into the ocean along the coast and a dark plume of smoke near Sendai. Both images are from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides twice-daily images of Japan.

Japanese Fighter plane

A Japanese military plane with its nose struck in a building at Matsushima air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, northeastern Japan

Japanese Nuclear Plant explosion after Earthquake and tsunami

Explosion at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant on the North East coast of Japan. The reactor core is being exposed due to a failure in the coolant pumping system.



The explosion is likely to be caused by hydrogen and oxygen mixing but it will disperse nuclear particles into the atmosphere surrounding the plant.

The local community is being evacuated and told to stay indoors until that can be accomplished

The Aftermath of the Powerful Quake and Tsunami that Devastated Northern Japan

Currently reporting more than 1,000 people dead and 785 missing but the figure is growing and the conditions are such that communications are extremely difficult.



A woman carrying a child on her back walks over debris in Rikuzentakada, Iwate Prefecture on Saturday morning. Photograph: AP



Rescuers struggled to reach survivors on Saturday morning as Japan reeled after an earthquake and a tsunami struck in deadly tandem.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake set off a devastating tsunami that sent walls of water washing over coastal cities in the north.

Concerns mounted over possible explosion and radiation leaks from two nuclear plants near the earthquake zone.

Japan earthquake: Twisted roads

NOAA Image: Epicentre of 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan

A forecast model image made available by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows predicted tsunami wave heights on the open ocean as well as one-hour contours of travel time from the epicentre



A screen grab at the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Jakarta shows a simulation, featuring a prediction of possible spots that could be hit by the tsunami triggered by the earthquake

Picture: EPA

A monitor displays the seismological chart of the earthquake which hit Japan

Picture: AFP/GETTY

Massive Devastation caused by the 8.9 earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

The oncoming tsunami strikes the coast in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan



Houses are damaged by water following a tsunami and earthquake in Ibaraki city, Ibaraki Prefecture



A closer look at the earthquake-induced tsumani waves sweeping into shore in Iwanuma



A tsunami triggered by the powerful earthquake sweeps through Sendai airport

Chile Earthquake: Tsunami reaches Japan

Click on the picture to play the video.