Follow Slashdot stories on Twitter

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Earth Google Japan Science

Using Googlemaps To Simulate Tsunamis 40

flemster writes "Tsunami mapper is a new site which uses the googlemaps elevation service and the flood fill algorithm to predict which areas near a coast are likely to be affected by a tsunami. You can search for your local beach, set a wave heading and height and then double click the tsunami starting point off the coast, after which the tsunami range will be drawn. Naturally, predicting a tsunami is far more complicated than this and this application is a general guide and not a true predictor. However the simulations of the recent Japanese simulation are interesting. Compare the tsunami mapper simulation with this aerial photo of Ishinomaki after the March tsunami."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Using Googlemaps To Simulate Tsunamis

Comments Filter:
  • Re:Didn't work... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Ol Biscuitbarrel ( 1859702 ) on Saturday April 30, 2011 @04:09PM (#35986424)

    I also like "It's best to start the tsunami a few kilometers from the shore." This in reference to the tsunami not reaching Aberdeen Washington, no matter where I start them from. Maybe the coders are into Nirvana?

    Would help to add a scale so we can figure how much map covers those few kms, too...

    OK, after looking at the Gallery I think they meant meters, not kilometers - you doubleclick right offshore to mark where, uh, the news crews will congregate? Wave fronts are a bit more diffuse than that, I believe.

  • Re:Didn't work... (Score:4, Informative)

    by camperdave ( 969942 ) on Saturday April 30, 2011 @04:10PM (#35986440) Journal
    They only simulate it for about 10 km, regardless of how high the wave is. I am severely disappointed in this simulation.

One man's constant is another man's variable. -- A.J. Perlis

Working...