Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan have shown that tsunamis can be predicted even before sea level rises, by studying the magnetic fields created by these massive bursts of waves.
And the study, which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth on October 18, stated that monitoring the disturbance of this magnetic field, which may occur within only a minute or two, can save many of the victims. spirits.
High tsunami waves cause severe damage to coastal areas (Getty Images)
magnetic field disturbance
Many previous studies that used tsunami simulation techniques expected that magnetic field disturbance would be a useful factor in warning systems, but none of them detected this disturbance associated with sea level rise during real tsunami events.
According to a report published on the "Science Alert" website on December 23, geophysicist Jan Lin from Kyoto University in Japan said, "We were able to collect measurements of sea level change, which are consistent with our magnetic data as well as with theoretical simulation techniques. ".
The new study provides real-world evidence for using tsunami magnetic fields to predict tsunami height using data from two real events: the 2009 Samoa tsunami in the South Pacific, and the 2010 Chilean tsunami.
The study showed that the magnetic field resulting from the tsunami carrier waves arrives before the waves themselves, and that this field can be used to predict the height of the wave.
The researchers found that the time at which the magnetic field can be detected depends on the depth of the water, as the early arrival time was approximately one minute before the sea level change at a depth of 4800 metres.
Investments must be made in building new marine monitoring stations to avoid the subsequent devastation of the tsunami waves (Getty Images)
The necessity of building marine monitoring stations
The researchers focused on simultaneous measurements of sea level change from seafloor pressure data and magnetic fields during two tsunamis, and found that the dependence on the initial arrival time of the magnetic field, similar to the onset of the seismic wave, acted as an early warning of tsunami waves, as the magnetic field generated by the tsunami So sensitive that even a wave height of a few centimeters can be detected.
One of the shortcomings lies in the limited number of monitoring stations dedicated to recording this type of magnetic field data, the study stated - according to the press release published on the "Advancing Earth and Space Science" website.
Moreover, readings are usually only recorded in deep sea environments, rather than coastal environments which are expected to be more useful in monitoring magnetic field disturbance.
Lin and his colleagues thus provided a new tool in planning to reduce the damage caused by natural disasters, particularly tsunamis, which cause mass beach devastation without warning.
Thus, magnetic field data can be integrated into future tsunami prediction and warning systems, giving vulnerable communities more time to prepare and take precautions to minimize losses.