Geophysicist Hiroo Kanamori was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Japan for his earthquake hazard prevention research.

Kanamori, a 71-year-old native of Japan who was the longtime director of the California Institute of Technology's Seismological Laboratory, is considered one of the world's top experts in earthquake research for his study of how quakes occur and what can be done to minimize damage when they happen, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Algorithms he designed, for example, help determine the magnitude of earthquakes, the Times said.

The Inamori Foundation, the Japanese organization that awards the prize, said it chose the scientist because his theories, now put into practice, are helping to protect human life.

Kanamori called the award a recognition of the entire field of seismic research, and said he will donate half of the $440,000 he won to establishing graduate fellowships at Caltech.

The other half will go to seismological societies and disaster relief efforts.

Such prizes are rarely awarded to seismologists, the newspaper said, because judges favor medical advances.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 12 November 2007   

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