Tsunami Research Centre to be opened on Jul 20

Kochi, Jul 19: A tsunami research centre at the School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), will be inaugurated by Kerala Fisheries Minister S Sarma tomorrow.

Among the main research activities to be taken up by the centre initially will be to prepare a ''vulnerability map'' of the entire 560 km Kerala coast to identify the possible ''tsunami hot spots'', School of Marine Sciences Director Dr K Damodaran said.

The December, 2004, tsunami-affected areas of Alappad, Arathupuzha and Edavanakkad areas in Kerala will be included in the study areas.

The multi-disciplinary research programme will also include making of numerical models of wave propagation rates and study of other oceanographic phenomenon such as storm surges, he said.

University pro vice-chancellor N D Enaasu will preside over the function tomorrow, which will also be attended by Australian National Tidal Facility former director Tad S Murthy and Dr Karin O Lunklin, who made the database to study tsunamis in four oceans, a CUSAT release here said.

UNI