Researchers report that the primary benefit of tsunami mitigation parks, an emergent but little-studied tsunami protection structure consisting of a vegetated hill, is in reflecting tsunami energy back into the ocean, at least for waves with amplitudes comparable to the hill height; additionally, hills can enhance damage in their immediate vicinity, suggesting the need for a buffer zone behind the hills, according to the authors.
Article #19-11857: “The protective benefits of tsunami mitigation parks and ramifications for their strategic design,” by Brent Lunghino et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jenny Suckale, Stanford University, CA; e-mail: jsuckale@stanford.edu
###
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences