They should have spent the money on luggage and plane tickets.
They did spend the money on plane tickets, then spent more in the Maldives, that went to pay for the geologists, courtesy of the government there. It's a Indian Ocean paradise, or was.
Since you and your big shit eating grin take issue with the US Geological Survey's use of tax funds, and are obviously so friggen informed about it, perhaps you might want to better enlighten as to which studies have elicited your negativity....in Hawaii to survey beach erosion affecting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property, or in New Orleans after Katrina, or exactly where? They are doing lots of studies, so you shouldn't have a problem.
Getting a report by some trained scientists.....considering that over one hundred thousand people were killed as a result of the tsunami, along with the massive destruction of infrastructure, having something more measurable than just some eye witnesses that say, "A big wave suddenly came and washed lots of people away, along with their kids, cars and cows", it does seems to have some necessity, along with the historical context. How seismic activity equates to tsunami potential and damage, maybe you think it better to just leave it up to the seagulls to inform by acting unusual?
Not to digress, clear skies here, no snow. It's been an unusually warm winter up to this point. The nearby ski places have sufficient snow, though it's now melting.
