Study on the estimation of tsunami propagation from an analysis of sailing ship motion

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011, in the coastal sea area of northeastern Japan. The epicenter was located close to the seashore. The big tsunami that was generated caused extensive damage. Over the entire Pacific coastal region, tsunami warnings and tsunami advisories were issued continuously. The short arrival time of the tsunami and late evacuation are thought to explain the extensive damage suffered. If early forecasting of tsunami propagation becomes possible, it is believed that tsunami damage will be reduced and safety from tsunamis can be ensured. This paper deals with a method of early forecasting of tsunami propagation. The AIS data obtained from many sailing ships were used and analyzed for estimating tsunami propagation. It was confirmed that this method was very original and effective.