The Pacific Ocean and its adjacent marginal seas are the largest, most diverse, and most tsunami-prone of any of the earth’s oceans. Pacific Ocean nations face and must be prepared for distant, and local tsunami threats. In the past, Member States depended primarily on the international advice services of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Centre (NWPTAC), and US National Tsunami Warning Center (US NTWC) to inform their National Tsunami Warning Centre decisions. But lessons learned recently on how to best prepare for local and regional tsunamis acknowledges that every country needs tp address the threat themselves through improved and expanded National Tsunami Warning Centre and Disaster Management Office capacities targeting coastal communities, and through formal regional collaboration. On 11 March 2011, the Pacific experienced and responded to its third destructive local tsunami in three years. Following the 29 September 2009 Samoa Tsunami that killed 192 in Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga, and the 27 February 2010 Chile Tsunami that killed 124 in Chile, Japan is now facing a tremendous effort to analyze its national response and preparedness in order to better mitigate its tsunamis losses in the future. On 6 February 2013, a local tsunami in the Solomon Islands killed 9. On 1 April 2014, a local tsunami in northern Chile killed 7.
Chile Tsunami Event 1 April 2014
PTWC RIFT detailed coastal forecast amplitudes, Chile | Pacific Sea Level Stations with Tsunami Travel Times (TideTool) |
Solomons Tsunami Event 6 February 2013
PTWC RIFT model simulation showing the predicted maximum off-shore tsunami wave amplitudes from the 1112 UTC 6 February 2013 shallow thrust earthquake. | Tsunami damage to homes at Venga village in Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands. Photo courtesy of Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office. |
Japan Tsunami Event 11 March 2011
Observed water heights and calculated tsunami travel times, 11 March 2011
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Minami Sanriku, Japan |
Chile Tsunami Event 27 February 2010
Observed water heights and calculated |
Dichato, Chile |
South Pacific Tsunami Event 29 September 2009
Observed water heights and calculated tsunami travel times, 29 Sept 2009 |
Pago Pago harbor, American Samoa |