IASPEI - Picture Gallery

IUGG XXIV General Assembly July 2-13, 2007 Perugia, Italy
(S) - IASPEI - International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's
Interior
JSS016 Oral Presentation 2348
Multiparameter seafloor observatory deployed for tsunami warning
Dr. Francesco Chierici
Istituto di Radioastronomia Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Luca Pignagnoli, Laura Beranzoli, Francesco Gasparoni, Luis Manuel Marques
Matias, Davide Embriaco, Paolo Favali, Giuditta Marinaro, Nevio Zitellini
On September 2007 a multi-parameter observatory, equipped with a tsunami detector, will be deployed
in the Gulf of Cadiz, in the framework of NEAREST EC Project. NEAREST is particularly addressed to
tsunami detection and early warning in the tsunami-prone areas of the Portugal, Spain and Morocco
Atlantic coasts.Among other deliverables, NEAREST project will produce and test basic parts of an
operational prototype of near field tsunami warning system. This system is based on a onshore warning
centre in charge of collecting, integrating, and processing data from the already operating geophysical
monitoring networks.The seaside part of the system is an advanced type of tsunami detector,
integrating a pressure sensor with a seismometer and accelerometers , installed on board of the sea
bottom multi-parametric observatory GEOSTAR, capable of two way acoustic communication with a
surface buoy. The buoy, equipped with meteo station and GPS, is connected to a shore station via radio
and satellite links.This way we intend to combine the typical warning approach with the acquisition of
geophysical, geochemical and oceanographic data.
Keywords: underwater observatory, tsunami warning, south west iberia