OSU researchers study tsunamis using Seaside seashore model

OSU researchers study tsunamis using Seaside seashore model

Researchers work on building a scale model of the Oregon coastal town of Seaside, which they will then put in a large wave tank to measure the effects of a tsunami.

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Story Published: Jun 13, 2007 at 2:09 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jun 13, 2007 at 2:14 PM PDT

By KATU Web Staff

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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Scientists and engineers at Oregon State University are trying to find faster evacuation routes in the event of a major West Coast tsunami.

So they are building a scale model of the Oregon coastal town of Seaside.
    
Once the town is recreated, they'll place it in the basin of their wave lab.

With short notice, the researchers say evacuating everyone inland takes too long, especially for the elderly and disabled.

There is ongoing research that indicates many people may be saved by "vertical evacuation," or fleeing to the upper floors of hotels or parking structures, as many did during the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands in 2005.
    
They believe their data could someday save lives along the Oregon and Washington coastlines, which are near an active tectonic zone that is expected to deliver a strong quake and tsunami in the future.

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