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CORVALLIS, Ore. - The History Channel will air a new documentary about tsunamis on Tuesday, July 8, that features footage filmed in April at Oregon State University's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, home of the world's largest tsunami wave basin. The program begins at 9 p.m.

The History Channel program, "Nature Tech: Tsunamis," will look into what causes these mysterious killer waves that have claimed more than 50,000 lives in the 20th century and how new research like that being conducted at OSU is helping predict future tsunamis and issue warnings to coastal residents.

The O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, operated by the OSU College of Engineering, is in the midst of a $4.8 million expansion funded by the National Science Foundation that includes construction of the new tsunami wave basin.

Daniel Cox, director of the lab, has been surprised by the amount of national and international attention the expansion is bringing to the university.

"Construction is not even complete yet, and we're getting calls from a wide range of researchers, media, and other people interested in the capabilities of this new facility," Cox said. "This has definitely put Oregon State University center stage in the world of tsunami research, and it's exciting that our research will make the world safer."

The new wave basin also features cutting-edge information technology that enables researchers anywhere in the world to plan and participate in real-time in experiments at the laboratory, and facilitates access to a vast digital library of research data.

The OSU facility is one of 15 laboratories nationwide that are part of the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation funded by the National Science Foundation.

A grand opening ceremony for the new tsunami wave basin is planned for Sept. 13.

More information about the laboratory, including K-12 outreach and educational tours of the facility and a computer animated fly-through of the lab, is available at the website: wave.oregonstate.edu. The History Channel website is: www.historychannel.com.