Tsunami Program Overview

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Tsunami Program Overview

• Jenifer Rhoades
• Date June 16, 2008

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NOAAs Tsunami Program Areas of Focus

• Tsunami Warning Program
• Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• Tsunami Research and Development
• Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Network
• Significant involvement and coordination with
  NOS, NESDIS, OAR, and Federal and State Partners

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Tsunami Program 2004(Pre-Strengthening Effort)
FY08 FY09 Legacy Program (Non-Strengthening)
  FY08 Allocation FY09 Pres Bud
Tsunami Warning System Components    
Tsunami Warning System Operations 2886 2886
Subtotal 2886 2886
     
Tsunami Hazard Mitigation    
NOAA TsunamiReady Staff Outreach 521 521
International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC) 380 380
Subtotal 901 901
     
Tsunami Research and Development
NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory - Tsunami Research 850 850
Subtotal 850 850
     
TOTAL 4637 4637
Note NTHMP funding at 2.3M 1997-2006
Additional 2M Earmark 2003-2005
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Tsunami Program 2004 (Pre-Strengthening Effort)

• Tsunami Warning Program
• 2 Warning Centers staffed 8hrs/day 5days/wk.
• 6 experimental Deep-ocean Assessment and
  Reporting of Tsunami stations
• 0 national water level stations (NWLON)
  configured to support tsunami
• Insufficient global seismic data and
  communications local Hawaii network limited
• Regional seismic networks implemented in Alaska
  and west coast through NWS and NTHMP
• Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• 11 TsunamiReady communities recognized
• 5 member states in the National Tsunami Hazard
  Mitigation Program
• 3 Gb quality controlled data archived for tsunami
  observations and events
• 2 inundation forecast models completed
• Coastal tsunami forecast methodology implemented
  at TWCs
• Tsunami Research and Development
• Transitioned DART technology from PMEL to NDBC in
  2001 operational in 2003
• PMEL and NDBC awarded DOC Gold Medal in 2004 for
  successful transition
• No national research plan
• Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Network
• No functional international coordination outside
  Pacific
• International Tsunami System and Information
  Center for Pacific only

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Administration Commitment to Strengthen The
Nations Tsunami Warning Program

• In the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami, the
  Administration made a commitment to strengthen
  the Tsunami Program
• FY 2005 Tsunami Supplemental Funding
  17.2M ( USGS 13M)
• FY 2006 NOAA Appropriation
  9.7M
• FY 2007 NOAA Appropriation
  19.1M
• FY 2008 NOAA Appropriation
  23.2M
• FY 2009 PB 23.2M
• PRIMARY FOCUS Accelerate and Expand the
  Nations Tsunami Detection and Warning
  Capabilities
• Additional Administration Response
• Defense Relief 250M
• State (USAID) Reconstruction 660M
• (16M for IO tsunami warning system)
• NSF Research surveys 1M

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Todays Tsunami Program Strengthened Warning and
Mitigation System NOAA Major Project Completion
Date 3-31-08

• Tsunami Warning Program
• 2 Warning Centers staffed and operating 24x7, 365
  days/yr
• TWC AORs expanded to all Indian Ocean and
  Caribbean nations as well as all US and Canada
  coasts.
• Notification provided to all UNESCO/IOC Focal
  Points in Pacific and Indian Oceans and Caribbean
  Sea
• 39/39 DART II stations in operational status
• 8/8 new Hawaii broadband seismic stations
  operational integrated 9 USGS Global Seismic
  Network affiliate stations and Test-ban Treaty
  arrays
• 16/16 new 33 upgraded TsunamiReady water-level
  stations (136 NWLON stations configured to
  support tsunami)
• Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• 57 TsunamiReady Communities recognized
• 28 member States in the National Tsunami Hazard
  Mitigation Program
• 3.2 Tb tsunami quality controlled data (event,
  earthquake, volcano, DART, water level, DEMs)
• 26/26 Site-specific inundation models, digital
  elevation models and bathymetric maps completed
  for Forecast Operations
• Bathymetric survey of Puerto Rico completed
• Forecast system Phase 1 implementation tsunami
  at a glance tested
• SIFT coastal estimate tool resident at TWCs along
  with the TWC coastal forecast system

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U.S. Strengthening Project NOAA Project
Accomplishments (cont.)

• Tsunami Research and Development
• Developed a National Tsunami Research Plan and a
  NOAA Research Plan that include
• Improvements and cost reductions of warning
  operations
• Development of next generation forecast models
  that address local tsunami problems
• Social Science studies (in partnership with NSF)
• Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Network
• Provided technical assistance and training for
  International TWC development
• Improved preparedness and developed capacities
• Provided detection and communication equipment
• Promoted data-sharing practices and policies
• Established education/training capability at
  accredited universities

Not required by the U.S. Strengthening Project
Plan
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Administration Commitment to Strengthen The
Nations Tsunami Warning Program

• Tsunami Warning and Education Act of 2006
• NOAA Authorized 135M for Program (FY2008
  FY2012)
• Tsunami Forecast Warning Program including
  integrated observing systems
• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
  27
• Tsunami Research Program 8
• Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation
  Networkincluding International Tsunami
  Information Center (ITIC), technology transfer
  (WMO, IOC) and contributing to GEOSS
• Deficit Reduction of 2005 Title III
• NOAA Authorized 50M for Program (FY2008
  FY2012)
• For Tsunami Warning and Coastal Vulnerability
  Program
• Enhanced Tsunami Warning and Forecast Capability
• A. Including RD
• Improved Outreach and Education Effort

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Tsunami Warning Program(P.L. 109-424)

• SEC. 4. TSUNAMI FORECASTING AND WARNING PROGRAM
• The Administrator, through the National Weather
  Service and in consultation with other relevant
  Administration offices, shall operate a program
  to provide tsunami detection, forecasting, and
  warnings for the Pacific and Arctic Ocean regions
  and for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and
  Gulf of Mexico region.
• Shall maintain or establish(A) a Pacific Tsunami
  Warning Center in Hawaii (B) a West Coast and
  Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska and(C)
  any additional forecast and warning centers
  determined by the National Weather Service to be
  necessary
• Utilize and maintain an array of robust tsunami
  detection technologies
• Maintain detection equipment in operational
  condition to fulfill the detection, forecasting,
  and warning requirements of this Act
• Provide tsunami forecasting capability based on
  models and measurements, including tsunami
  inundation models and maps for use in increasing
  the preparedness of communities, including
  through the TsunamiReady program
• Maintain data quality and management systems to
  support the requirements of the program
• Ensure that maintaining operational tsunami
  detection equipment is the highest priority
  within the program carried out under this Act.

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Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program(P.L. 109-424)

• SEC. 5. TSUNAMI HAZARD AND MITIGATION PROGRAM.
• The Administrator, through the National Weather
  Service and in consultation with other relevant
  Administration offices, shall conduct a
  community-based tsunami hazard mitigation program
  to improve tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas
  in the United States and its territories.
• Shall establish a Coordinating Committee
  comprising representatives of Federal, State,
  local, and tribal government officials. The
  Administrator may establish subcommittees to
  address region-specific issues.
• PROGRAM COMPONENTS.The program under this
  section shall
• (1) use inundation models that meet a standard of
  accuracy defined by the Administration to improve
  the quality and extent of inundation mapping,
  including assessment of vulnerable inner coastal
  and nearshore areas, in a coordinated and
  standardized fashion to maximize resources and
  the utility of data collected
• (2) promote and improve community outreach and
  education networks and programs to ensure
  community readiness, including the development of
  comprehensive coastal risk and vulnerability
  assessment training and decision support tools,
  implementation of technical training and public
  education programs, and providing for
  certification of prepared communities
• (3) integrate tsunami preparedness and mitigation
  programs into ongoing hazard warning and risk
  management activities, emergency response plans,
  and mitigation programs in affected areas,
  including integrating information to assist in
  tsunami evacuation route planning
• (4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning and
  mitigation measures by Federal, State, tribal,
  and local governments and nongovernmental
  entities, including educational programs to
  discourage development in high-risk areas
• (5) periodic review of the program

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Tsunami Warning Program(P.L. 109-424)

• SEC. 6. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.
• The Administrator shall, in consultation with
  other agencies and academic institutions, and
  with the coordinating committee established under
  section 5(b), establish or maintain a tsunami
  research program to develop detection, forecast,
  communication, and mitigation science and
  technology, including advanced sensing
  techniques, information and communication
  technology, data collection, analysis, and
  assessment for tsunami tracking and numerical
  forecast modeling.
• Research program shall
• (1) consider other appropriate research to
  mitigate the
• impact of tsunami
• (2) coordinate with the National Weather Service
  on technology
• to be transferred to operations
• (3) include social science research to develop
  and assess
• community warning, education, and evacuation
  materials and
• (4) ensure that research and findings are
  available to the
• scientific community.

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Tsunami Warning Program(P.L. 109-424)

• SEC. 7. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION
  NETWORK
• International Tsunami Warning System
• International Tsunami Information Center
• DETECTION EQUIPMENT TECHNICAL ADVICE AND
  TRAINING.
• Data Sharing Requirement

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Administration Commitment to Strengthen The
Nations Tsunami Warning Program
FY 08 09 Funding Summary
Note NOAA meets funding mandates required by the
Tsunami Warning Education Act of 2006
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Background DiscussionU.S. Tsunami Program
Plan 2008 2013

• Tsunami Warning Program
• Sustain 24x7 capability at 2 TWCs
• Operate maintain existing observational
  networks and integrate other networks
• DART II, seismic, and TsunamiReady water level
• Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• Recognize 50 additional TsunamiReadyTM
  communities
• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
• Continue data archive and data quality control
• Complete 49 site-specific inundation models,
  Digital Elevation Models and bathymetric maps for
  Forecast Operations
• Move SIFT to operations
• Integrate TWC Forecast Models with SIFT GUI
• Tsunami Research and Development
• Improve accuracy and lead-time of tsunami
  warnings
• Implement improvements to tsunami warning,
  education, and mitigation efforts, including
  social science studies
• Global Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Network
• Tsunami Watch-Provider for Indian Ocean, Pacific,
  and Caribbean countries
• Research and development agreements with
  Australia and Indonesia
• Promote capacity development, technology
  transfer, and data exchange policies

Excludes Spectrum Plan Funding
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Summary/Priorities

• Significant achievements since 2004
• Coordination and activities on-going to maintain
  and improve TWS
• Near-Term gains for Warning System, NTHMP and
  Research expected to be achieved through Spectrum
  Sale Funding
• Implementation of Strategic Plan
• IT Convergence
• Coordination with Other Los
• Execution of Spectrum Funds

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Background Slides
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Warning Operations and Notification

• Warning and Information Centers
• Global area of responsibility serving national
  needs
• Operating 24x7
• Fast, reliable, and trusted

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Global DART II NetworkA contribution to
GEOSSDetection and Verification Full
Operational Capability March 2008
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Forecast SystemGeneration, propagation, and
site-specific decisionsPhase 1 West Coast,
Alaska and HI
Total 4 models pre-strengthening 26 new
models completed
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Forecast SystemGeneration, propagation, and
site-specific decisionsPhase 1, East and Gulf
Coasts, PR and USVI
Total 4 models pre-strengthening 26 new
models completed
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Tsunami Forecast Model Development
FY06 / 8 Completed FY06 / 8 Completed FY07 / 9 Completed FY07 / 9 Completed FY08 / 6 Planned FY08 / 6 Planned
Region Population Center Region Population Center Region Population Center
Alaska Seward, AK Alaska Dutch Harbor, AK Alaska King Cove, AK
Alaska Sitka, AK Alaska Homer, AK Pacific Kaiwaihae, HI
Pacific Nawiliwili, HI Alaska Yakutat, AK Western Garibaldi, OR
Pacific Kahului, HI Pacific Haleiwa, HI Western La Push, WA
Western San Pedro, CA Pacific Honolulu, HI Southern Daytona Beach, FL
Eastern Myrtle Beach, SC Pacific Pearl Harbor, HI Eastern Montauk, NY
Southern Mayaguez, PR Western Port San Luis, CA
Southern San Juan, PR Western San Diego, CA
Eastern Cape Hatteras, NC
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NOAAs Tsunami Program Hazard Assessment
75
72
63
54
45
361
30
21
13
4
Deferred delivery of 3 inundation models in
FY08 to put resources on transitioning models to
operations. 1 Opportunity to accelerate and
expand models completed to address more at-risk
communities w/Spectrum Sale.