Early data on Asian quake went unnoticed in Vienna

International Herald Tribune ^ | 12/29/04 | Thomas Fuller

[wagglebee]

PARIS Early on Sunday morning, powerful computers in a Vienna office building received seismic data on the earthquake that spawned the devastating tsunamis across south Asia - information that might have saved lives in the hours between the quake and the waves hitting the coasts of Sri Lanka, India and several other countries.

But the data streaming into the computers of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization served no purpose Sunday.

[wagglebee]

The way I see it, there have been only two nuclear (actually atomic) weapons used in history, yet earthquakes occur all the time. Perhaps these leftist peaceniks could use their $100 million annual budget a little more effectively.

[SolutionsOnly]

Europeans do love their vacations!

[syriacus]

But the data streaming into the computers of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization served no purpose Sunday.

I think some people at UNESCO may have dragged their feet on this...

http://ioc.unesco.org/itsu/contents.php?id=73

6.  REGIONAL AND OTHER TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEMS

6.1   NORTHWEST PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM

190       The Group regretted that there are currently no seismic stations available for tsunami warning close to the Philippines and Indonesia, although data are needed in that region. It was noted however, that there are 2 CTBTO (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization) stations in the Philippines and 6 in Indonesia. The Group requested the countries owning the stations to make them available for tsunami and earthquake warning purposes.

Action: Chair

Deadline: March 2004

Status: No action - 8 April 2004: Chair will send text by endof April. Secretariat to send letter. - 22/9/04: Postponed: Chair will submit text in October.

Status 25/11/04: Chair will report during Dec 2004 Officers Meeting.[snip]

[ApplegateRanch]

I think some people at UNESCO may have dragged their feet on this...

I could laugh, if I wasn't crying.

OTOH, this is much less important than pointing out our stinginess; and President Bush's insensitivity in not shooting off his ... uhh, COMMENTING, publicly before he had something useful and important to say to the public.

Glad to see the UN has its priorities straight, as always.

[Andy Ross]

Isn't this a bit nonsensical? The timeline of the events shows that any realistic early-warning was impossible. Phuket was hit 30 minutes after the earthquake occurred.

BBC Timeline of Events

Andrew

[OldFriend]

The French love their vacations so much they left 15,000 elderly to die in the heat of Paris while they left for cooler climes.

[syriacus]

From the UNESCO website

Recommendation ITSU-XIX.4: Working Group on the Tsunami Warning System in the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean

Writer: Tammy Kaitoku Updated: 15.10.04 Created: 21.09.04 Hits: 529
Recommendation ITSU-XIX.4: Working Group on the Tsunami Warning System in the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean [endoresed by the IOC Executive Council at its 37th Session in June 2004]
Recommendation ITSU-XIX.4
  WORKING GROUP ON THE TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEAN  
The International Co-ordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific,  
Recognizing that the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean has a significant threat from both local and distant tsunamis;  

Further recognizing that some areas of this region are not covered by the PTWC;  

Noting the interest of Member States in the Indian Ocean and Southwest Pacific regions to enhance their tsunami warning services;  

Acknowledges that Indonesia has decided to develop its National Tsunami Warning System with already existing and planned upgrades to seismic and sea-level networks and that the PTWC provides distant tsunami warnings for the Southwest Pacific;  

Further acknowledging that there may be mutual benefits to these regions and to the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific from the establishment of this system;  

Decides to establish an intersessional Working Group on the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean with the following Terms of Reference:  

-                      to evaluate capabilities of countries in these regions for providing tsunami warning services;
-                      to ascertain requirements from countries in the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean for the tsunami warning services.

  Requests Australia and ITIC to prepare a draft prior to the next SOPAC meeting for consideration by the Working Group.  

Recommends that the Group be composed of representatives from Indonesia, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, Observer from Papua New Guinea and the Directors of ITIC and PTWC and Chaired by the Representative of Indonesia.

  Acknowledges that ITSU is the Co-ordination Body for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (TWSP) and encourages non-ITSU Member States to contact the IOC Secretariat to request membership of the ICG/ITSU.
Financial implications:  
US$ 5,000 for 2004; US$ 5,000 for 2005.

[aynrandfreak]

We've tested quite a few, and so have other countries. My question is, was this system in place when India & Pakistan tested their nukes in 1999?

[wagglebee]

I'm not sure if this system was in place, but we certainly knew about it.

[BIGLOOK]

Gaulic heat wave vs seismic sea wave casualties? Be careful what you say; they may want US foreign aid.

[Rudder]

I thought everything went unnoticed in Vienna.

[longjack]

According to Wretchard at The Belmont Club reports issued right after the earthquake stated that there were no Tsunami warnings or watches in effect.

Historical data didn't indicate it.

A second report was issued stating the same thing, just minutes before the wave hit Phuket. As you say, the waves hit Phuket just 30 minutes later.

Wretchard has the reports up at his site.

longjack

[JohnBovenmyer]

The folks in Indonesia were doomed. Probably the folks in Thailand too. But the people on the India mainland and those in Sri Lanka had 3-4 hours lead time. If they'd had a preexisting disaster plan there should have been time to get the message out. Maybe not perfectly and maybe not to everyone, but thousands could have been saved. It doesn't take fancy communications or technology, it just takes organization and practice. The plan need not have been designed for rare tsunamis. Something designed for more common problems like monsoon driven flooding could have been adapted on the spot. Just send the warning down the chain of command to local government, local law enforcement, military bases and whatever media (probably government run already) they have. Let local authorities (and the media) do the final footwork. Heck, if the only direct result is all the local poobahs running for the hills rumors of THAT may save some lives. Sri Lanka has run a civil war for 20 years. They haven't lost yet (haven't won either.) This is easier!

[Frank_2001]

Vacation, eh? At first, I thought they were all at church!/sarcasm off

[JohnBovenmyer]

Actually our warning center in Hawaii did call the governments involved, but they had no system in place to disseminate the information. Calling the international media probably wouldn't have helped much - how many locals would have access to them? Sending cops to the beaches and ports, phoning the tourist hotels, etc. and sending someone along the coast road yelling "Emergency, check your radio" would have done more, presuming you'd co-opted the local radio. If 1 in 10 turns on the radio word of mouth would do the rest. Clear the coast for a few hours then there only is the physical damage to deal with.

[geopyg]

Education is the biggest thing. Tsunami, EQ, chemical, bio, etc.. You can give all the warning you want, but without the education it won't help. And just because there was an EQ doesn't mean there had to be a Tsunami (initial seismic records won't pinpoint it too quickly if it were marine or land). And even if it is marine - which way is it going?

There was a report of some lifequard on a beach seeing the ocean acting strange and raised the red flag (literally) to get people out of the water and off the beach. Not how far they got off the beach though.

Speaking of education - what are we supposed to do again about a chemical or bio attack? Something about duct tape and plastic asI recall.

[Darksheare]

So you're saying the death toll is all OUR fault?

I'm willing to bet that there HAD been warning of the tsunami, and even if CNN and the BBC had 'warned' of it, you'd STILL be having your undies in a knot over how it is somehow OUR fault.