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Tsunami Warning System Up and Running

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the plenty-of-time-to-get-your-surfboard-now dept.

SEWilco writes "UNESCO has announced that their Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System is up and running as scheduled. From the article: 'Twenty-six out of a possible 28 national tsunami information centers, capable of receiving and distributing tsunami advisories around the clock have been set up in Indian Ocean countries. The seismographic network has been improved, with 25 new stations being deployed and linked in real-time to analysis centers. There are also three Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) sensors. The Commission for the Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is also contributing data from seismographic stations."

16 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Great - but local challenges by WinEveryGame · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While this is a welcome achievement, a key challenge is to get the local processes in place to effectively utilize the early warning. Unfortunately some of the most vulnerable spots are far-flung areas with lack of resources and processes to handle effective evacuations etc.

    1. Re:Great - but local challenges by RsG · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Realistically, many areas are gonna get hit hard no matter how much warning they get. There's not much you can do about flooding for example if there isn't anywhere nearby above sea level. I've heard it said that Bangladesh is a disaster waiting to happen because of exactly that sort of terrain and climate.

      What you can do with tsunamis though is give the people who can react a chance to do something. Even fifteen minutes warning might save lives - enough time to get the hell away from the beach and seek shelter.

      You're right that it won't be enough in far flung areas. But an imperfect system that will do some good is better than no system - better a cheap condom than none at all to draw a crude analogy...

      --
      Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
    2. Re:Great - but local challenges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The greatest local challenge is that most 3rd world residents will
      stay in their house to safeguard their belongings from looters.

      Without effective local policing, Asian residents seldom evacuate.

      Additionally, one false warning and future ones will be ignored until
      the next big one.

  2. It's not a bad thing by celardore · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I feel that this system is generally useful and productive, how often do tsunamis happen? I wonder if this "early warning system" will even be used in the next 50 years.

    1. Re:It's not a bad thing by joe+155 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      well according to wikipedia there have been at least 6 fairly big tsunami's since the 60's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami). Although the boxing-day one was the biggest in recent memory thousands of lives could be saved in the next 50 years even if (which we hope) no other big tsunamis happen

      --
      *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
    2. Re:It's not a bad thing by LiftOp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Any opportunity to link these kinds of data systems is a good thing. Seismic data is most useful when combined with as many data points as possible. Tsunamis aside, the long-term benefits of these networks from an earthquake prediction standpoint will be enormous.

    3. Re:It's not a bad thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yes.

    4. Re:It's not a bad thing by RsG · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm pretty sure that the region they're covering with this system is more vulnerable than most. Nowhere else that I can think of has large populations that are near the mainland coast or on islands. There are a few other equally densely populated areas, and plenty of settled coastal regions, but the combination of both is rare. Remember that this is one of the most densely populated regions in the world - China is as bad or worse, but not as vulnerable to tidal waves.

      Early warning systems in both southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent will do the most good. Rio is vulnerable to be sure, but a disaster there won't be as far reaching, or claim as many lives. Also, if we're talking natural disasters in central America, I'd worry more about hurricanes in the gulf of Mexico than tidal waves in the south Atlantic.

      That being said, a global system is a good idea, assuming we could find the funding needed.

      --
      Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
  3. Good news! by Manip · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, American researchers actually knew it was coming but didn't have a way to worn the people in its path. They literally in the same position you or I would be in if we too knew it was going to happen.

    Who would you phone, in a couple of minutes? The embassies?
    That is about as effective as standing out on the front lawn and yellowing "There's a tsunami coming!"

    So as I said, this is great news. It will allow international researchers to warn places of the impending wave, and helpfully save a few lives.

    1. Re:Good news! by DerekLyons · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Anyway, point is that calling someone *did* work. People overseas called NZ and the word spread *fast*. I don't know whether it was fast enough to be useful, but there's something in there thats useful. Dont call people here - broadcast the news on the internet and news. *Someone* listening will know people in the affected area and the mass phone calls will start.

      That's very nice - but about as relevant as rice sales in Antartica.
       
      The nations surrounding the Indian Ocean by and large *aren't* nations with well developed communications and transportation as in NZ.
  4. UN by kisak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Great work by UNESCO. Another example why the UN has become such a vital organisation after WWII.

    --

    --- guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people ---

    1. Re:UN by FooGoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I am all for the UN doing this type of work as protecting human rights, solving political problems, or preventing genocide is not their forte.

      --
      People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
    2. Re:UN by JahToasted · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Solving political problems or preventing genocide doesn't seem to be anyone's forte. The UN attempts to do these things anyway with varying degrees of success. You don't hear about the times they succeed because negotiating treaties and keeping things peaceful don't get as much attention as several million people being massacred (and even that doesn't get much attention anymore). Are you saying they shouldn't attempt anything that has a significant chance of failure?

  5. Great example of technology at work by 99luftballon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is tried and proven technology, put down for a highish initial investment and minimal maintenance requirements. All credit to UNESCO for getting it up and running so quickly.

    The logical next step is to link the new Tsunami grids around the world and crunch some data. There could be very interesting research into deep ocean wave effects.

  6. and then a legal issue by rolyatknarf · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Survivors of tsunami victims will find a way to claim that the system did not perform adequately and hire an attorney to discover who they can blame for an unspecified amount monetary damages.

  7. Re:Looks great on paper, won't do anything by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Insightful
    South East Asian Distaster Preparedness Manager is about the worst job ever

    One advantage:

    • You're the first to get the warning. Run to high ground now.