Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
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Tsunami Detection
NOAA Briefing on Indonesian Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings
28 March 2005
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee participated in a briefing on the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami warning systems at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. At the briefing, renowned tsunami expert Dr. Eddie Bernard and other NOAA scientists as they discussed how a global tsunami warning and detection system might have changed or improved the tsunami warnings for Southeast Asia following Monday's earthquake. Inslee plans to introduce legislation with House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) to improve the United States and global tsunami detection and warning system. The legislation would enhance the current United States tsunami warning system, and contribute to deploying deep ocean buoys and detection capabilities worldwide, including in the Indian Ocean, so communities can have accurate and timely warnings of tsunamis in a way that minimizes loss of life and false alarms.
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee listens to Dr. Eddie Bernard and other NOAA scientists discuss a proposed map of tsunami warning devices.
As part of the briefing, NOAA presented scientific information about the most recent Indonesian earthquake and examined how a system similar to the network envisioned by the Boehlert-Inslee legislation would react in similar situations. The briefing also included a demonstration of the technology by NOAA scientists in Seattle, who will receive data from the most recently deployed deep sea tsunami buoy located off of Hawaii. These tsunami warning buoys are equipped with pressure transducers made by Redmond-based Paroscientific.
The Boehlert-Inslee legislation will aim to give the United State one hundred percent tsunami detection capability, and commit our country to working with other nations to fill the gaps in the system to detect tsunamis worldwide. A robust tsunami detection system is an inexpensive investment that can save communities from a considerable economic losses should they respond to a false alarm. Currently, the Indian Ocean lacks the deep ocean buoys that are deployed off the West Coast of America to detect tsunamis, while the American system is in need of additional buoys to ensure greater accuracy and broader coastline coverage.