Notes From the Field...

USGS Scientists in Samoa and American Samoa Studying Impacts of Recent Tsunami, October-November 2009

• Read USGS articles and reports:
  • “The limit of inundation of the September 29, 2009, tsunami on Tutuila, American Samoa”
    USGS Open-File Report 2010-1018
  • “Surprises from the Deadly September 29, 2009, Samoa Tsunami”
    http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/12/
  • “USGS Scientists Respond to Deadly Samoa Tsunami”
    http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/11/fieldwork2.html
  • “USGS Scientist in American Samoa Helps Calm Fresh Tsunami Fears”
    http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/11/fieldwork3.html
     
    
• Listen to USGS CoreCast Episode 110: “Tsunami Research Keeping People Safe”
• Read USGS Press Release from November 18, 2009: “Waves of Survival in American Samoa”
• Read information sent from Samoa; includes photos
• Read stories from survivors and responders in American Samoa and Samoa (Upolu)
• Read the overview of the Samoa Field Study
• Links to USGS and other agency web sites
• List of tsunami terms
• Latest map of observed runup heights, compared with NOAA modeled heights, see below

Latest map of observed runup heights, compared with NOAA modeled heights

Map of American Samoa, showing field locations where the ITST measured runup heights October 5-6, 2009. Values are not tide-corrected, and the scale of the figure precludes showing all of the details of the observed spatial variation in runup. Locations of some of the higher runups are shown.

Image courtesy of NOAA: Maximum wave amplitude distribution for Tutuila created with the MOST model.

DISCLAIMER: This material is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.