UNESCO IOC CTIC US NOAA ITIC Regional Training Workshop on Strengthening Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedures and the Development of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS PTWC New Enhanced Products 4-8 November 2013, La Romana, Dominican Republic SOP of PTWC as a Regional Tsunami Service Provider Laura Kong UNESCO/IOC NOAA International Tsunami Information Center Charles McCreery Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Key TWC Operational Activities Detection and Evaluation of Earthquakes Detection and Evaluation of Tsunami Waves Forecasting the Tsunami Threat Decision-Making Product Generation and Dissemination
Key TWC Goals Faster More Accurate More Reliable More Effective
Key Operational Steps 1. Earthquake occurs 2. PTWC alarm sounds due to large seismic signals 3. Watchstanders report to operations center 4. Watchstanders begin manual EQ processing 5. Computer produces automatic EQ solutions (location / depth / magnitude) 6. Watchstanders produce reviewed, interactive EQ solutions 7. Lead watchstander accepts an EQ solution 8. Appropriate message to issue is chosen based upon EQ location, depth and magnitude.
Key Operational Steps 9. Estimated tsunami arrival times are computed for forecast points and sea level gauges 10. Message software generates message text putting appropriate areas in a watch 11. Watchstander reviews and modifies text if necessary 12. Watchstander sends message via multiple methods 13. Watchstanders check circuits to ensure messages were successfully transmitted 2-5 min for PRVI EQ 5-15 min for Caribbean / Atlantic EQ
Key Operational Steps 14. Watchstanders monitor sea level gauges 15. When sea level data are received, watchstanders evaluate presence and strength of tsunami waves 15. All data are used to produce a tsunami forecast 16. Lead watchstander makes decision about whether to cancel, continue or upgrade warning 17. Steps 13-16 repeated until event is over.
PTWC Operations Room
CONTINUOUS DISPLAY OF SEISMIC TRACES
AUTOMATIC SOLUTIONS INITIAL LOCATION IN 3-8 MIN
SEISMIC TRACES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL FOR MANUAL PICKING
DISPLAY FOR MANUAL PICKING OF SEISMIC TRACES
INTERACTIVE TOOL TO REFINE SOLUTION INCLUDING DEPTH
Mwp: Moment Magnitude from the P Wave Seconds
PTWC Criteria for CARIBE-EWS PRODUCT CARIBBEAN EQ ATLANTIC EQ Information Statement Information Statement Local Tsunami Watch Regional Tsunami Watch Caribbean-Wide Tsunami Watch Mw: 6.0 9.9 Deep or Inland Mw: 6.0 7.0 Shallow, Undersea Mw: 7.1 7.5 Shallow, Undersea Mw: 7.6 7.8 Shallow, Undersea Mw: 7.9 9.9 Shallow, Undersea Mw: 6.5 9.9 Deep or Inland Mw: 6.5 7.8 Shallow, Undersea N/A N/A Mw: 7.9 9.9 Shallow, Undersea
Initial tsunami bulletins for Caribbean or Atlantic earthquakes are typically issued in 5-10 minutes. For any watch level event, subsequent bulletins are issued at least hourly.
Content of Current PTWC Products Earthquake Parameters Countries in a Watch Estimated Arrival Times Current Sea Level Readings
Monitoring of Sea Level Data Detect if a tsunami was generated. First reading in 30-90 min If a tsunami is detected, measure its size Compare readings to forecast values Adjust forecasts and watch areas Use to cancel watch when amplitudes on most gauges have fallen below watch levels (1m)
Look for evidence of a tsunami on sea level gauges Measures and records sea level at its location (usually a pier) Some near real time, others have up to an hour between transmission times Different styles: Float-operated Pressure sensor Radar sea level sensor, Niue Island
DART Buoys Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis New instrument; full deployment for USA coastal protection finished in March 2008 (still being deployed in Indian Ocean) Essentially a deep-ocean pressure sensor-type sea level gauge
The 15 Nov 2006 Central Kuril Tsunami
Some Warning Limitations Local tsunami Too fast to guarantee an official warning But where most casualties and damage occur Seismic analysis is only indirect indicator of a tsunami threat Sea level data generally takes too long and gaps in coverage remain Coastal sea level readings are difficult to interpret for forecasting Long time between events Conservative criteria means over-warning
UNESCO IOC CTIC US NOAA ITIC Regional Training Workshop on Strengthening Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedures and the Development of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS PTWC New Enhanced Products 4-8 November 2013, La Romana, Dominican Republic Thank You Laura Kong UNESCO/IOC NOAA International Tsunami Information Center Charles McCreery Pacific Tsunami Warning Center