How are you doing, Laura?
I live an exciting life. After a year of internship in the US, I’m returning to Lithuania. A year ago, it wasn’t easy to leave my country, and now, after a year, it’s not easy to leave the life I’ve built in America.
Where did you do your internship?
My internship took place at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington, and I spent the last few days at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
What will be the outcome of this internship – a new scientific paper, a scientific degree, or maybe even the opening of a new field of scientific research?
Results are already visible. My work has been presented at two international conferences (3rd World Conference on Meteotsunamis and American Geophysical Union 2024 (AGU24) Annual Meeting) and has attracted considerable interest from scientists. Dr. Vasily Titov and I worked on meteotsunami modeling. Without high-resolution atmospheric pressure data, real-time forecasting of meteotsunamis is almost impossible. Meteorological services around the world widely use Doppler weather radars designed to monitor precipitation and its movement across a large area. This is a very useful tool, even for ordinary users, showing the probability of precipitation. From radar images, anyone can see the intensity of precipitation in different locations (the reflection values are higher or lower). We hypothesized that higher reflection intensity corresponds to more intense changes in atmospheric pressure. In our study, we used meteorological radar data and modeled past meteotsunamis on the East Coast of the US, in Klaipėda, and in the Adriatic Sea. Based on our results, we can say that the hypothesis was confirmed—radar data can be used to predict meteotsunamis.
How can you explain to the average person what a meteotsunami is and how it differs from the tsunami we know from Learning the World lessons at school?
A tsunami is a series of waves, giant ocean waves, that pose a great threat to society, tourists, and infrastructure. My field is narrower; I study meteotsunamis, also known as tsunamis of meteorological origin.
Lithuania and tsunamis, at least until now, seemed to me to be two things that don’t really go together. But maybe that’s just how it seems to us – ordinary human beings?
We are all familiar with Lithuanian weather, cyclones, storms, and strong winds in Klaipėda, summer thunderstorms, and squalls. All of these phenomena can cause meteotsunamis in both the Baltic Sea and the Port of Klaipėda. Many of us have experienced or heard that the operation of the Old Ferry Terminal gets suspended and the port gets shut down due to intense waves. We probably don’t even consider the fundamental reasons behind it – these could be meteotsunamis.
How did the topic of tsunamis come up in your life?
It came up very naturally. After completing my master’s degree, I worked as a meteorologist. My master’s thesis supervisor, Dr. Loreta Kelpšaitė-Rimkienė, suggested that I explore the topic of meteotsunamis, which is unusual and almost completely untouched in Lithuania. I agreed and, having already started working as a marine meteorologist, I saw that (oh Jeez!!!) in Lithuania, all long-period waves, regardless of their origin, are defined in a single way and predicted using a single method. I couldn’t understand how phenomena of different origins could be predicted using the same method?! My interest in meteotsunamis grew even more, and in 2023, I spotted an invitation from the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation to apply for an internship in the US. I submitted my application and was accepted. I was lucky to be able to learn from the best specialists in this field and work with one of the world’s leading researchers studying meteotsunamis, Dr. Vasily Titov.
What do these studies offer you and Lithuanian science?
For me, it is a great opportunity to be heard and understood, to learn from world-renowned and respected scientists. In the US and Europe, meteotsunamis are considered a threat and efforts are being made to predict them. From my studies abroad, I will bring back to Lithuanian science a wealth of good practices, knowledge, and skills in the field of meteotsunami forecasting.
You started your career as a scientist relatively recently, but your work has already been noticed and recognized. Are you proud?
On April 9, my work in the field of meteotsunami forecasting was recognized with the Science Impact Award 2025 (Lithuanian-American Innovation Awards) for the creation of a new method for real-time meteotsunami forecasting using airborne radar reflections, which contributes to improving coastal safety in both the United States and Lithuania. It feels good.
Tsunami in theory and in practice: have you ever seen or experienced one?
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I have never had the opportunity to experience a tsunami caused by seismic activity. However, we observe meteotsunamis in Klaipėda quite often.
What are your dreams and plans for the future as a scientist?
My biggest dream right now is to defend my PhD thesis and develop the model I have created so that it is functional in hands-on applications.
And what do you think, Laura, about the path of a scientist, now that you are already on it...
After completing my master’s degree, I told myself that I didn’t need any more academia, but here I am... And now I can say that this lifestyle is to my liking – conferences, internships, travel, new people, experiences, and, of course, growth. We all know how wonderful it feels to solve a difficult puzzle or sudoku. It’s the same in science. The joy of discovery and knowledge is immense.
What else do you have time for besides scientific puzzles?
Strange as it may seem, I don’t like water. Perhaps because of the “clarity and warmth” of the Baltic Sea, swimming in the sea has never appealed to me. After swimming in Hawaii, my opinion on this matter has improved somewhat. Books, detective stories, hiking in the mountains (after seeing the beauty of the mountains there, I don’t know how I’ll survive in Lithuania!), spending time in nature, campfires, songs, and conversations with friends – that’s my retreat.
