In this article, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee reports on the range of information the scientists are seeking in order to improve models of how tsunami are formed and to establish a warning system in the Indian Ocean. Surveys to discover how tall and fast the waves were, for instance, will be used to refine computer simulations and pinpoint the most vulnerable coastal areas.

Such predictions are hard to make accurately, as sea floors are uneven and coastlines often jagged. But the governments of India, Indonesia and Thailand are determined to fill this knowledge gap fast, and are committing millions of dollars to the new warning systems.

Link to article in Science

Reference: Science 307, 22 (2005)

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