Computer model suggests tsunamis could be blunted by coastal trees
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the biggest problems with tsunamis is that they are so hit or miss. Major ones only occur every ten years or so, and the likelihood of any one place being hit is extremely small. This results in very little preparation being undertaken for such occurrences by people in areas that could be hit. The end result is that when a tsunami does strike, it’s typically devastating. One solution suggested over the years is that coastal communities plant trees between the sea and the community; the idea being that the trees might slow or blunt the force of the waves. Unfortunately, not much work has been done to test this theory, mostly because it’s virtually impossible to predict when and where a tsunami will strike. Now however, a group of German researchers has designed a computer program, as described in their paper published in the Proceedings of...