The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was a major natural disaster that occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011.

Chemical engineering is a branch of engineering that combines principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and economics to design and operate processes that convert raw materials into useful products.

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines, and railways.

Cornell University is a private, Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York.

An earthquake is a natural occurrence that involves the shaking and trembling of the Earth's surface.

An engineer is a professional who applies scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for various technical problems.

The finite element method (FEM) is a numerical technique used to find approximate solutions to problems in engineering and the physical sciences.