Japanese tsunami mapped in detail for the first time

18:24 27 September 2011


Michael Marshall, environment reporter



(Image: GeoEye/Digital Globe/MIRC/JHA/Google)

On 11 March, a devastating earthquake struck the Tohoku region of north-east Japan. The resulting tsunami devastated large areas, travelling over 5 kilometres inland and killing over 15,000 people. The vast wave has now been mapped in detail for the first time.

Researchers surveyed 2000 kilometres of Japanese coastline, including over 5300 locations. The resulting map, above, shows how severe the tsunami was in different regions of Japan.

Red bars show the height above sea level of the resulting flood, which in some places was as much as 19.5 metres. The blue shading illustrates how far inland the tsunami travelled.
The researchers say it is still not possible to accurately predict how a given tsunami will behave once it hits the land.

Journal reference: Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: 10.1029/2011GL049210

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/09/detailed-map-of-japan-tsunami.html