A world expert on earthquakes and tsunamis will be in Dublin in February to discuss the latest research into how these events can be more reliably anticipated and planned for.
Dr Yoshiyuki Kaneda, of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) will give a talk at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies on Monday, 3rd February.
The mega-quake of 11th March 2011 that hit Japan, killed 16,000 people and resulted in €24 billion of damage.
In response, Japanese scientists have just installed a network of some 30 high-tech observatories on the deep ocean floor. Packed with sensors, these stations send real-time information back to shore, monitoring the Earth’s plates as they slip, shift and buckle.
Ireland tsunami threat
It would be wrong for Irish people to assume that mega-quakes and tsunamis are things that happen in far-flung lands, and have no direct impact on us. The historical and geological record demonstrates that Ireland has been hit by two tsunamis in 1755 and 1761, when buildings were damaged along the south coast.
The tsunami in 1755 was caused by the Great Lisbon Earthquake. A similar quake today could trigger another tsunami endangering the Irish south coast in particular. Ireland is also at the risk of a tsunami from submarine landslides, as happened off Canada in 1929, or a volcanic eruption on the Canary Islands or Caribbean.
Dr Kaneda leads Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Research Project for Disaster Prevention at JAMSTEC.
His talk is a joint initiative of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), a centre for seismic research which runs the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN), and is open to the public and all interested parties.
As seating capacity is limited, registration is essential at the Embassy of Japan on 01-202 8305 or cultural@ir.mofa.go.jp between 20 and 30 January.
Dr Kaneda is also giving an expert workshop for young researchers on the morning of 3 February.
VIDEOS:
The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 resulted in a tsunami that hit the Irish southwest coast:
JAMSTEC video of the remotely operated vehicle “Hyper dolphin” burying and installing the DONET (Dense Ocean floor Network system for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) observation devices deep under the ocean:
Great article on a very important topic. It is also a wonderful opportunity to hear first hand from a scientist at the forefront of research into ocean bottom sensor technology for tsunami detection. The Great East Japan earthquake also served as a very significant ‘stress test’ for the 4 scientific monitoring techniques, radionuclide detection, seismology, infra-sound and hydroacoustics, used to verify the violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear test-ban Treaty.