The portal enables data from the field to be quickly and comprehensively shared with the  research community and the public worldwide, to promote better understandings. For example, GeoCENS created a real-time demonstration of the damage wrought by the March 2011 tsunami on the Japanese coastline (see the demo here: http://dev.geocens.ca/projects/35). By studying this, scientists may reach new conclusions on what to expect from - and how to better defend against - such natural disasters.