16/10/2003

The understanding of Tsunamis (giant tidal waves) and the protection of the European coastal areas is the objective of the project "Tsunami hazard assessment and mitigation studies - THAMS", which constitutes the Greek presence among the finalists for the EU Descartes Prize 2003.

The project is coordinated by a researcher of the Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens, Dr Gerassimos Papadopoulos, in association with researchers from Italy, (University of Bologna), Turkey (Middle East Technical University in Ankara) and Japan (Tohoku University in Sendai).

The THAMS project aims to cover the scientific information gap regarding Europe?s Tsunami and to acquire background information about the generation mechanisms, the propagation patterns and the inundation effects.

To this end, the researchers conducted research and constructed a catalogue listing all Europe?s Tsunamis since the 17th century. Moreover, they developed new methods for simulating the waves with computer techniques, measuring the intensity of Tsunamis (similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes) and mapping the risk of future catastrophes.

The ceremony for the Descartes Prize awards will take place on 20 November 2003, in Rome, and it will be preceded by a seminar on mobility and trans-national scientific careers. The Grand Jury brings together representatives from the academic, industrial and public domains, who will decide which projects will share the one million euro prize.

The eight finalists have been selected from applications involving 900 scientists in 230 research teams. A growing involvement of the Accession countries should be noted, as well as a significant increase in the participation of women who coordinated two of this year?s eight shortlisted projects.

Apart form the THAMS project, the final projects concern the first global network providing autonomous services to Internet users, the designing of the next generation of environmentally friendly aircraft, the first steps towards controllable self-assembling molecular machines, the exploitation of polymeric light-emitting diodes for light and image display screens, a new model for nutation of the Earth?s axis, new drugs to help post-menopausal women, as well as genetic discoveries that pave the way for new methods in the treatment of Alzheimer?s disease.

The Commissioner for Research Ph. Busquin declared that ?the key to the success of the EU research lies in its most important asset: European scientists? and underlined that the Descartes Prize brings into the spotlight not only the dynamism and commitment of these scientists but also the crucial value of cross-border cooperation and partnerships.

More information is available on the Descartes Prize web site (http://www.cordis.lu/descartes).

Source: European Commission