The Hindu : International : Indian Ocean tsunami alert system soon

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Friday, Jun 24, 2005

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International

Indian Ocean tsunami alert system soon

Intergovernmental group to govern new system and approve plan of action

HINGTON: The initial phase of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System will be launched during the 23rd Session of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Assembly in Paris which started on Tuesday.

The participants at the IOC meeting will form an intergovernmental group to govern the new system and approve a plan of action for the Indian Ocean tsunami warning system, a UNESCO release said here on Wednesday.

The IOC is the decision-making body of UNESCO and meets every two years and comprises 131 IOC member states, including representatives from the 27 Indian Ocean countries.

Since the December 26 tsunami, the IOC and its partners have set up an interim system for the Indian Ocean basin, with tsunami advisory information provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and the Japanese Meteorological Agency.

The permanent system, now in various stages of development, is expected to be operational by July 2006.

It will consist of enhanced seismographic networks in the region, networks of real-time sea-level gauges and deep-sea ocean pressure sensors.

In a fast-track effort to detect a tsunami after a strong earthquake, the IOC has overseen the installation and upgrading of tide gauges. — UNI

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