Tsunami Deposits Workshop Topics

List of Relevant Topics:

What are priorities for studying tsunami deposits?

                    -Big picture:  What are the major unanswered questions we should work on?

                    -Scientific connections:  What does the scientific community want from us?

                    -Public connections:  How can we help the public using tsunami deposit research?

How can we generalize about tsunami deposits?

                    -Criteria for recognition:  What is the difference between tsunami and storm deposits?

                    -Reliability of preservation:  How complete is the geologic record of tsunamis?

                    -Modeling tsunami sedimentation:

                                         Qualitatively, how do tsunamis erode, transport and deposit?

                                         What can we learn using laboratory tsunami analogs (e.g. NEES, PARI)?

                                         What is the future of analytical and numerical models?

                                         How can we use tsunami deposits to quantify:

                                                             Turbulent structure of tsunami waves?

                                                             Breaking vs. non-breaking waves?

                                                             Number of waves?

                                                             Temporal structure of tsunami flow?

What are the geomorphic effects of a tsunami?

                    -Tsunami erosion:  What erosional features are useful as paleotsunami evidence?

                    -Cumulative impact:  How does repeated tsunami attack shape coastlines?

How can tsunami deposits contribute to hazard assessment and preparedness?

                    -Inundation models:  How do we use deposits to ground truth inundation models?

                    -Recurrence:  Do deposits accurately represent past and future recurrence?

                    -Historically unprecedented events:  How can we interpret their evidence?

                    -Case studies:  How have tsunami deposits been successfully used in the past?

                    -Data compilation:  How should we construct a tsunami deposit database?

                    -As educational tools:  Can deposits convince coastal residents of tsunami hazards?

How can we translate tsunami research into tools for education and outreach?

Breakout Groups:

How can tsunami deposits be distinguished from hurricane and other storm deposits?
How can properties of tsunami waves be quantified from their deposits?
What are the geomorphic effects of tsunami erosion and deposition?
How complete are geologic records of tsunamis?
What is required to construct a database that includes documented historic and prehistoric tsunami deposits and other geologic evidence of tsunamis?
What is the best way to use tsunami geology to constrain coastal hazard maps and help construct probabilistic hazard assessment maps?
How best can the significance of tsunami deposits be explained to the public and used for outreach and education?

Last updated October 27, 2005