UMass Amherst Fulbright winner studies sediment from tsunamis in Japan

University of Massachusetts Amherst geoscientist Jonathan Woodruff has wasted no time putting his Fulbright Fellowship to use instantly, as he is already in Japan to study sediment left behind by tsunamis and other natural disasters that cause flooding.

Together with graduate student Hannah Baranes adjunct professor Kinuyo Kanamaru and several other participants, the collaborative effort involves the use of new technology to evaluate deposits in risk assessment.

Prior records that go back 1,000 years are questionable, and their accuracy cannot be determined, so Woodruff is working in partnership with Japanese scientists to use flood deposits to improve flood risk assessments.

"Jon is an expert at forecasting the vulnerability of coastal and river systems to repeat events," Julie Brigham-Grette, chair of geosciences at UMass Amherst, said. "With the possibility of global warming raising ocean levels, this research is pertinent to planning precautionary safety measures."
  
The Fulbright Fellowship is offered by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, given in an effort to advance research and learning opportunities while also increasing cooperative measures and understanding with foreign countries.