Tsunami databases: The problems of acceptance and absence

Tsunami databases are not dissimilar from a wide variety of other data sources used by researchers, and yet users rarely, if ever, use them appropriately. They contain summary information of individual tsunamis, but they will always be incomplete because of the fragmentary data related to numerous past events and the difficulty of updating event information for those already included. Examples from AD1917 and AD1892 throw some light on this dilemma and show that not only is the uncritical use of such databases inappropriate, but that the data they contain may not be fit for the research questions being asked. This is unfortunate because it has probably led to at least one significant misconception developing within the tsunami community -- that earthquakes are by far the most significant tsunami-genic source. When used appropriately though, tsunami database have the potential to inform and empower coastal communities.