The ocean-based tsunami detection system, known as the deep-ocean assessment and reporting of tsunamis (DART), which today sent warnings to residents on the west coast of the United States and Hawaii (as well as more than 50 other countries) is an unreliable system, according to 2010 report.
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"The technology is good, but it's designed for distance events like today," says Nathan Wood, a research geographer at the U.S. Geological Survey and a member of the committee that issued the report. The massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Japan, giving residents of the United States enough time to prepare or evacuate. Tsunamis are capable of hitting earthquake stricken areas 15-20 minutes after the earthquake itself. But it takes several minutes for researchers at tsunami warning centers to gather seismic data, run models, and issue warnings. Having already lost about seven minutes, for example, those close to the epicenter have little time to evacuate or mobilize before the tsunami strikes, says Wood. Information from the buoys is utilized, roughly, anywhere from 10-60 minutes after an earthquake to confirm a tsunami event and determine the size of the waves. "There is just not time for warnings when a local event occurs."
How Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Systems Work via MIT Technology Review
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