Japan JSPS Program: Experimental Modeling of Sandy Tsunami Deposits

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Moore 9804832 This award supports a 12 month Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Andrew Moore at the Disaster Control Research Center (DCRC), Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. Dr. Moore will work with Dr. Fumihiko Imamura, Professor DCRC, on a research project entitled, "Experimental Modeling of Sandy Tsunami Deposits." Several recent tsunamis have highlighted the fact that one of the most persistent records of the passage of a tsunami is the sandy debris it leaves behind. These tsunami deposits are often the only evidence scientists have that prehistoric tsunamis once struck a coast. The proposed research is designed to determine the general features of tsunami deposits, including overall geometry, sedimentary structures, and grain-size patterns. This information can be used to help identify prehistoric tsunami deposits, and to allow estimation of the size and speed of tsunamis from their deposits. The research involves producing small tsunamis in a laboratory wave tank and determining how changes in wave height, wave velocity, particle size, and particle density affect the features of tsunami deposits. ***