This research program addresses the need for a numerical model to compute tsunami propagation and runup. Specifically, it addresses the task of transferring to the United States a sophisticated computer code developed by Professor Shuto at Tohoku University in Japan. This model can reproduce the maximum runup along the west coast of Japan which occurred as a result of the tsunami (seismic sea wave) generated by the 1983 Nihonkai-chubu earthquake. Significant experience has now been accumulated by Japanese researchers in applying the model to field cases. This research project involves the non-trivial task of transferring this code to run on computers in the United States, where it will be available for use in tsunami research, and as a predictive model for determining potential tsunami flooding along coastal areas. Professor Shuto is assisting in this task.
