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February 15, 2005

Public lecture will focus on Northwest tsunamis

News and Information


  • WHAT: Tsunamis in Washington, a free public lecture
  • WHO:

    • Jody Bourgeois, UW Earth and space sciences professor
    • Brian Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey and affiliate UW faculty
    • Tim Walsh, state Department of Natural Resources geology division
    • George Crawford, state Emergency Management Division

  • WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • WHERE: Kane Hall, Room 120, University of Washington Seattle campus


DETAILS: The speakers will present research highlights and discuss issues such as whether there could be a tsunami on Puget Sound, what to do if you are on the coast and feel a big earthquake, how big previous Washington coast tsunamis have been, how much time there would be to react and how well prepared we are. There also will be time for audience questions. This is the first quarterly presentation in the new Pacific Northwest Earth Science Lecture Series.


THE SPEAKERS:

Bourgeois is currently studying tsunami deposits on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and recently finished a study of tsunami deposits in the Snohomish river delta.

Atwater is a paleoseismologist widely known for his research on historic Washington earthquakes, including collaboration with Japanese researchers to find historical evidence for a tsunami originating off the Washington coast that was as big as the recent Indian Ocean tsunami.

Walsh is on the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program and is publishing a series of tsunami inundation maps for Washington coastal areas.

Crawford is director of the state Emergency Management Division’s Earthquake Hazards Program, and he has been instrumental in educating Washington coast residents about tsunami hazards, as well as in posting signs and installing warning devices.


NOTE: Seating is limited. Please make reservations by sending e-mail to geolecture@ess.washington.edu or calling (206) 685-2821 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.


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For more information, contact UW research scientist Kathy Troost at (206) 616-9769 or ktroost@u.washington.edu 


On the Web: http://geomapnw.ess.washington.edu and http://www.ess.washington.edu