The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people showed the need for an early warning system. A network of seismic and ocean monitoring instruments was established across the Indian Ocean to detect tsunamis and warn communities. Data is transmitted to warning centers in Hawaii and Japan that monitor for earthquakes and issue watches. Regional agencies are working to establish their own watch provider systems, while a coordinated multi-hazard warning system called RIMES is scheduled to launch in 2012.

1. Tsunami warning system
in the Indian ocean

2. In 2004 a tsunami in the Indian
Ocean
The tsunami by earthquake struck India in 2004.
About 230,000 people died in this disaster.
Early warning system was thought to reduce the
damage.

3. Before 2004 and After 2004
Before 2004, there were no sea-level monitoring
instruments in the Indian Ocean.
Five years on, a large networks to detect
potential tsunamis are located across the Indian
Ocean to pass warnings to the community. This
networks warned seismographic centres,
national warning centres or agencies, coastal
and deep-ocean stations.

4. PTWC and JMA
When an earthquake happen in India, data from
a variety of sources is transmitted to the Pacific
Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) based in
Hawaii and the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) in Tokyo.
The PTWC and JMA are now that you are
responsible for providing what is known as the
Indian Ocean tsunami watches.

5. Tsunami watches
By 2011, Regional Tsunami Watch Providers
(RTWPs) in Indian Ocean countries are set to
take over this function. Australia, India,
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Asian Disaster
Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Bangkok are on
track to become regional watch providers.

6. Multi-hazard early warning system
ADPC has been coordinating its own efforts
since 2005 to have a multi-hazard early warning
system, known as the Regional Integrated Multi-
Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES).
RIMES will be operable early next year.

7. Two centres
There are two centres in Hawaii and Japan.
They receive earthquake information and data
from tidal gauges and Deep-ocean Assessment
and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) sensors or
buoys. These two centres is to locate and
determine the size of earthquakes.

8. Warning to the population
Warnings to the population are delivered in a
variety of ways. Over the airwaves - radio,
television, SMS, email - and manually, using
bells, megaphones or loud-speakers attached to
mosques. Drills will kick in and local agencies
will coordinate an evacuation.