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IUGG Tsunami Commission Activities
Report 1991-1995

E. N. Bernard
Chairman, Tsunami Commission

The Tsunami Commission was very active during the past four years with major accomplishments in four areas:

1. Publication of scientific articles
2. Sponsored the 16th IUGG International Tsunami Symposium
3. Contribution to the U.N. International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction
4. Internet electronic Bulletin Board

I. Publications

A. A selection of scientific presentations made during the 15th International Tsunami Symposium at the XX General Assembly of the IUGG in 1991, in Vienna, Austria, was published by Kluwer Academic Press in 1993 in a 228-page book entitled, "Tsunamis in the World," edited by Tsunami Commission Member Stefano Tinti of Italy.

B. The proceedings of the 16th International Tsunami symposium held in Wakayama, Japan, from August 23-27, 1993, was published as an 880-page book entitled, "Tsunami '93," edited by Yoshito Tsuchiya and Nobuo Shuto (Tsunami Commission Vice Chairman) in 1993.

C. A selection of papers from the Wakayama, Japan, International Tsunami Symposium will be published as another Kluwer book in 1995. Yoshito Tsuchiya is the editor.

In summary, 91 scientific articles on tsunami research were published from two scientific symposia. Two books and one proceedings publication contain the scientific information presented. Dr. Gerald Hebenstreit (USA member of Tsunami Commission) will edit the book from the 17th International Tsunami Symposium planned for the XXI General Assembly in 1995. Sixty-six abstracts have been submitted for the Boulder, Colorado, Symposium.

II. Sixteenth International Tsunami Symposium

From August 23 to 25, 1993, the 16th IUGG International Tsunami Symposium was held in Wakayama, Japan, in conjunction with the International Coordination Group of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. This joint Symposium was organised by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers under the talented leadership of Yoshito Tsuchiya of Kyoto University and Nobuo Shuto of Tohoku University. By any measure, the Symposium was a tremendous success. The scientific program was outstanding because the Organising Committee had (1) screened over 100 proposed presentations to 76 quality presentations, (2) required that each presentation be written as a contribution to the Proceedings before the Symposium, and (3) distributed the Proceedings at the meeting so all attendees could read along with them.

One presentation on the July 12,1993, Hokkaido Tsunami by N. Shuto had no written report because of the lack of time to include it in the Proceedings. The scientific quality of the presentations was high, and the reports on the three most recent tsunamis in Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Japan maintained audience attention. An icebreaker, a reception by the Governor of Wakayama Prefecture, and a closing banquet satisfied the participants' social needs. Tsunami '93 was a perfect blend of quality science and Japanese hospitality making for an unforgettable experience for all participants.

III. International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction

In 1989, at the 14th International Tsunami Symposium, the Commission took a bold step to go beyond the reporting of tsunami research. The commission embraced the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) as an opportunity to contribute to the mitigation of the effects of tsunamis throughout the globe by identifying a single need. That single focus was "an internationally accepted method for preparing tsunami flooding maps." We realised that such an effort would require international cooperation to collect appropriate data and to construct models that could realistically simulate tsunami dynamics.

Since 1991, there have been eight tsunamis six of which were major disasters killing over 1600 people. The tsunami in Nicaragua killed over 140 people; and on Flores, Java, and Halmahera Islands in Indonesia, the tsunamis killed about 1,230 people. In 1993, the HokkaidoNansei-Oki tsunami took about 200 lives and in 1994, earthquake-generated tsunamis killed over 70 people in the Philippines and Kuril Islands of Russia.

These disastrous tsunamis were surveyed by scientists from Japan, the United States, Canada, Nicaragua, Italy, and Indonesia to collect precious measurements on the extent of tsunami flooding. All scientists generously made their data available to each other and to modelers, who conducted experiments with new information. The unselfish generosity of each scientist who shared these data should be recognised. This process of sharing data was made possible by the electronic mail system of Internet.

In addition to new data, a focused modelling effort was needed to convert research into useful information. In this regard, the Tsunami Commission joined with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations to financially support a tsunami project during the IDNDR. The project Tsunami Inundation Modelling Exchange (TIME) is a modelling center at Tohoku University under the direction of Nobuo Shuto that trains scientists from foreign countries in the use of numerical models to estimate the extent of tsunami flooding. In 1995, funding was made available to support the center. While awaiting word on funding, Professor Shuto has proceeded to make TIME happen. He exported his model to the United States, Turkey, Korea, and Mexico. This generous scientist who, in spite of uncertainty, proceeded to share his technology with those in need should be applauded.

IV. Tsunami Bulletin Board

The Internet system offers a technology to keep a geographically dispersed set of scientists in communication with each other. Since 1993, the Tsunami Commission has used the Internet technology to create a bulletin board in which a message can be posted and sent automatically to all subscribers of the bulletin board. As of February 1995, there are 130 tsunami scientists throughout the world who use this form of communication to share data and information on tsunamis. It has served as a vital link to coordinate international surveys of the recent swarm of tsunamis. It has served as an easy way to keep the community informed of new research, exchanging data, and keeping posted on meeting/symposia activities. The United States has contributed the resources to maintain the tsunami bulletin board.

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