1. Knowledge of tsunamis
A tsunami is a set of ocean waves caused by any large, abrupt disturbance of the sea surface. If the disturbance is close to a coastline, local tsunamis can demolish nearby coastal communities within minutes. A very large disturbance can cause local devastation and export destruction thousands of miles to distant coastal communities. A major tsunami can bring destruction to the coastal residents of an entire ocean, making the hazard inherently international. The word tsunami is Japanese, represented by two characters: tsu, meaning ‘harbour’, and nami, meaning ‘wave’. It is thought that from ancient times, when the Japanese observed unusual wave activity in a harbour, they were aware that a tsunami could be approaching. Tsunamis rank high on the scale of natural disasters. Since 1850 alone, tsunamis have been responsible for the loss of over 420 000 lives and billions of dollars of damage to coastal structures and habitats throughout the world. Most of these casualties were caused by local tsunamis that occur about once per year somewhere in the world. Predicting when and where the next tsunami will strike is currently impossible. Once generated, however, forecasting tsunami arrival and impact is possible through modelling and measurement technologies.
coastlines—the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Programme. By integrating hazard
assessment, warning guidance and mitigation activities, the programme has created a
roadmap and a set of tools to make communities more resilient to local and distant
tsunamis. Among the tools are forecasting, educational programmes, early warning
systems and design guidance for tsunami-resilient communities. Information on
international cooperation is drawn from the Global Earth Observing System of Systems
(GEOSS). GEOSS provides an international framework to assure international
compatibility and interoperability for rapid exchange of data and information.