OSU Tsunami Lab
Photograph: Oregon State University01Waves break on the shore of the Directional Wave Basin at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory in Corvallis. The basin can generate waves in all directions, as well as tsunami-like waves.
Photograph: Oregon State University02Conical islands are used to study inundation levels of shorelines protected by offshore islands.
Photograph: Oregon State University03The instrumentation bridge over the Directional Wave Basin.
Photograph: Oregon State University04A small demonstration flume in the lobby of the research laboratory shows waves over simulated vegetation, which is colored pink.
Photograph: Oregon State University05The pink vegetation attached to a sandy bottom.
Photograph: Oregon State University06In the Large Wave Flume, a wave plunges during an experiment replicating a storm sequence similar to one that hit New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy.
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