Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Tsunamis

• Earthquakes are responsible for creating tsunamis.
• Engineers are trying to build structures that can resist earthquake damage.

Tsunami Wave Basin

• The world's largest tsunami wave basin is located at Oregon State University.
• One of the main attractions of the tsunami wave basin is a 100-foot-long model of a Japanese coastal town.
• When scaling the experiments in the tsunami wave basin, engineers consider such factors as the size of the tsunami wave, the topography of the coastline, and the density of the water.
• The tsunami wave basin is a simplification of nature because it cannot account for all of the variables that can influence a real-world tsunami.

Purpose of the Tsunami Wave Basin and Challenges in Scaling Experiments

• The purpose of the tsunami wave basin at Oregon State University is to study the impact of tsunamis on coastal communities and to develop ways to mitigate their effects.
• One of the challenges in scaling the experiments in the tsunami wave basin is that it is difficult to create realistic tsunami waves.
• Another challenge is that the basin is not large enough to fully replicate the effects of a real-world tsunami.

Tsunami Hazards

• Tsunamis can cause significant damage to coastal communities, including flooding, erosion, and loss of life.
• Engineers work to design structures that can withstand the forces of earthquakes and tsunamis.

Studying Tsunamis

• It is important to study and understand tsunamis because they are a serious natural hazard.
• By studying tsunamis, engineers can develop better ways to predict and mitigate their effects.