In wake of Japan disaster, scientists aim for faster and more accurate tsunami warnings

Manchester – In the 10 years since the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, scientists have sought answers to a variety of questions relating to the deadly tsunami that began tearing through coastal communities just 15 minutes after the quake. Researchers have probed how a tsunami gathers height as it nears a shoreline and how this affects the damage it can cause. They've also begun to assess technologies for the early detection of tsunamis and improving tsunami observing systems across Japan. "The speed of a tsunami offshore is the same as a jet airplane and its speed inland similar to Usain Bolt," says Nobuhito Mori, a professor in the Coastal Disaster Research section of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University. While tsunamis are fast, they are not as fast-moving as the earthquakes themselves.