Australia and US secure tsunami partnership

The Bureau of Meteorology and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today officially signed an agreement to promote cooperative technical partnerships in tsunami early warning systems.

The Tsunami Science Implementing Arrangement falls under the umbrella of a memorandum of agreement between the bureau and NOAA signed on 24 March last year, soon after the 28 February signing of the overarching US-Australia bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation agreement.

The bureau’s Director of Meteorology Dr Geoff Love said: “We are creating a structure and network of scientists in both countries to share data and provide technical capabilities. The agreement fosters a mutual exchange of scientific and technical expertise to the benefit of both countries.”

The technical collaboration and partnership advances the interests of Australia and the US by:
* strengthening national and regional capacity for tsunami detection, forecast, warning, communication, preparedness and other aspects of an end-to-end tsunami warning system;
* increasing the number of in situ and deep ocean sea level observations available in the Pacific and Indian oceans;
* reducing development, deployment, operations and maintenance costs for tsunami detection systems that protect Australia, the US and the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions; and
* helping to build capacity among Australian and US regional partners.

Brigadier General (USAF retired) John (Jack) Kelly, NOAA deputy undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere, said: “NOAA is pleased to have the bureau as a partner in the Indian and south-west Pacific basins to assist in providing part of a global tsunami warning capability. We expect that Australia and the US will continue to work together to maintain a robust operational tsunami warning system throughout this region.”

With Federal Government funding of $68.9 million over four years with a 2009 completion date, Australia has committed to developing its own Australian Tsunami Warning System.

Dr Love said: “NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii will benefit from enhanced data from the Australian Tsunami Warning System’s expanded network of sea level and seismic instruments. The collaboration between the two nations has the real potential to save lives.”

As part of this effort, NOAA and the bureau will launch a new deep ocean assessment and reporting of tsunamis buoy station in April to further strengthen the region’s capacity for tsunami warning. The implementing arrangement will be signed at 11.30am, Friday 23 February 2007, Bureau of Meteorology head office, level 6, 700 Collins Street, Docklands. Signing by General Kelly and Dr Love.

Media inquiries and photo opportunities:
Valentina Lazarevska, Media and Communications, Bureau of Meteorology
tel: (03) 9669 4158, mob: 0410 481 181

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