International Tsunami Survey Team Chile

Building from concepts employed in post-earthquake technical clearinghouses, the ITST-Chile utilized a simplified implementation of a science/technical clearinghouse to provide a framework for central coordination, information sharing and integration of the data collected from the 2010 Chile tsunami.

The ITST-Chile is a UNESCO/IOC effort at request of Government of Chile (GoC) to understand the character of the tsunami and its impact in both the near-source region, and to provide information on impacts to GoC to enable it to enhance their tsunami disaster risk management practice.  An ITST-Chile Coordination Team, led by UNESCO Santiago and ITIC additionally scientists from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Southern California, and the University of Chile, provided the organization and framework for the conduct of the international survey.  Altogether, about 20+ international teams comprising more than 70 scientists from eight countries, complemented by Chilean teams and scientists, are expected to conduct tsunami surveys.  Coordination meetings with UNESCO and Chilean scientists on ITST-Chile logistics, data sharing, and reporting were conducted.  Data summaries are being shared through secure data repository administered by ITIC.