Caltech scientist accepts award

Longtime Caltech geophysicist Hiroo Kanamori was presented with the prestigious Kyoto Prize in Japan this weekend for his research into the physical processes of earthquakes and potential ways to reduce earthquake hazards.

Kanamori, 71, a leader in seismic research, is the former director of the Caltech Seismological Laboratory. For decades, he has been quoted in news articles about the science of earthquakes in California and worldwide.

“Dr. Kanamori’s work has ushered in a new era in seismology, and his proposals for protecting human life by mitigating seismic hazards are just coming to fruition,” the Inamori Foundation, which presents the awards, said in a news release. The names of the three recipients honored Saturday were announced in June.

Kanamori said in a telephone interview from Kyoto that the award surprised him and that he views it as a recognition of seismology in general. The field is not usually chosen for this kind of prize and typically does not produce the spectacular devices or medical methods typically associated with such awards, said Kanamori, a Caltech professor emeritus.

“Our job is to reduce the negative impact of nature on society,” he said. “In a way, this award was given to the field.”

The prize includes a cash gift of $440,000, and Kanamori said he plans to give half to Caltech to develop fellowships for graduate students.

Most of the remainder will go to two seismological societies, and he hopes to help fund disaster relief efforts.

“My lifestyle as a scientist, I don’t really need much money,” he said.

Kanamori’s associates in Pasadena praised his work Saturday.

“He’s one of the major figures, particularly in the more recent history of seismology,” said Douglas D. Given, geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena and project chief for earthquake monitoring in Southern California. “I can say without any hesitation that he’s made a much larger contribution to seismology than Charles Richter ever did.”

For instance, software incorporating Kanamori’s research is employed at USGS facilities in Pasadena and Menlo Park.

“That’s what’s running right now,” Given said. “If there were a sizable earthquake, it’s his algorithms that would determine the magnitude of the earthquake.”

Kanamori is one of the three 2007 laureates of the prize, which is considered one of the world’s leading awards for lifetime work. He received the prize in basic science.

The prize for advanced technology went to Hiroo Inokuchi, professor at the University of Tokyo and the Institute for Molecular Science, for his work in organic molecular electronics.

The prize for arts and philosophy went to German choreographer and artistic director Pina Bausch for pioneering work in theater arts. The recipients received diplomas and medals of 20-karat gold.

Inamori Foundation officials cited Kanamori for his research dating to the 1960s.

Starting in 1964 with the Alaska earthquake, “he revealed the essential rupture mechanism of major earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Rim, and established almost single-handedly a field that some now call ‘great earthquake seismology,’ ” the foundation statement said.

It also singled out his 1977 introduction of the “moment magnitude scale” to measure the magnitude of earthquakes, and his proposal for a tsunami warning system using real-time analysis of long-period seismic waves.

Caltech spokeswoman Jill Perry praised Kanamori, not only for his work, but for his modesty in receiving the award. As for the prize money, she said, “It’s so generous of him to turn around and share that with the entire institute.”

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deborah.schoch@latimes.com