RAPID: Reconnaissance Survey of Activity Concentrations Following the 11 March 2011 Japan Tsunami

该快速反应研究基金（Rapid）奖用于收集2011年3月11日日本地震和海啸的短暂数据。数据将从日本和美国联邦北马里亚纳群岛的地点收集。PI及其同事在2011年3月11日东北海啸发生后访问了该地区，并记录了上升和海啸流。他们还采集了土壤和水样，以测定碘和铯的放射性同位素浓度。其中一些样品的浓度比其他样品的报告高出一个数量级。在这个项目中，将从塞班岛、天尼安岛和罗塔岛获得更多关于海啸爆发的数据。将联系海啸的目击者以获取更多信息。还将从先前在日本取样的同一地点获得表土样本，以验证最初的发现。收集的海啸预警数据将有助于完善有关东北海啸预警测量的现有数据库。这些数据可以用来验证美国国家海洋和大气管理局为北马里亚纳群岛制作的海啸淹没地图。放射性铯浓度的数据将有助于确定日本受损核电站释放的放射性元素的大小和面积扩散。

This Rapid Response Research Grant (RAPID) award is for the collection of ephemeral data from the March 11, 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Data will be collected from locations in Japan and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The PI and colleagues had visited the area following the 11 March 2011 Tohoku tsunami and recorded runup and tsunami currents. They also took soil and water samples for determination of concentrations of radioactive isotopes of Iodine and Cesium. A few of these samples suggested concentrations one order of magnitude higher than reported by others. In this project, additional data on tsunami runup will be obtained from Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Eyewitnesses to the tsunami will be contacted for additional information. Topsoil samples will be also obtained from the same sites previously sampled in Japan to validate the original findings.The data collected on tsunami runup will help to complete existing databases on runup measurements from the Tohoku tsunami. These data can be used to validate tsunami inundation maps produced by NOAA for the Northern Mariana Islands. The data on concentrations of radioactive Cesium will help determine the magnitude and areal dispersion of radioactive elements released from the damaged nuclear power plants in Japan.