Evolution of Tsunami Warning Systems and Products

Each year, about 60,000 people and $4 billion (US$) in assets are exposed to the global tsunami hazard. Accurate and reliable tsunami warning systems provide a significant defense for this hazard. In this paper, Drs. Eddie Bernard and Vasily Titov (NOAA Center for Tsunami Research/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) explore the evolution of science and technology used in tsunami warning systems and the evolution of their products using warning technologies. They suggest future directions for a new generation of these systems, concluding that coastal communities would be well served by receiving three standardized, accurate, real-time tsunami warning products, namely: (1) tsunami energy estimate, (2) flooding maps, and (3) tsunami-induced harbor current maps. Armed with these products, delivered in a common, standardized format, coastal communities around the globe would have vital flooding guidance for evacuations and port operations, thereby minimizing the impacts of tsunamis at the community level.