[Tsunami Area of Effect Map]

A tsunami is a system of ocean gravity waves formed as a result a large-scale disturbance of the sea that occurs in a relatively short duration of time. This impulsive disturbance causes vertical displacement of the water column. In the process of the sea water returning to an equilibrium position, a series of oscillations takes place, both above and below sea level, and waves, which propagate outwards from the source region, are generated. In some cases, a tsunami may only induce a relatively benign flooding of low-lying costal areas. In other cases, it comes ashore as vertical wall of turbulent water that can be very destructive, both at local and regional levels.

Dealing with tsunami hazard presents formidable challenges. In response to the relatively short travel times of the tsunami from the source region as a series of waves, the warnings have to be made rapidly and, in some cases, with incomplete data. The hazardous aspect of the evacuation process, however, requires that the false alarm rate be kept low. These conflicting demands are further compounded by the need to deal, in real-time, with the problem of which areas to evacuate and how to proceed with the evacuation plan in response to a tsunami threat.

Addressing these challenges requires collaborative research efforts in many areas, ranging from preparation of tsunami-related educational material and collection and compilation of historical tsunami data to provide warnings and predict run-ups, to the development of conceptual models for a tsunami mitigation plan. In all these areas, information technology (IT) plays an important role before, during and after a tsunami strikes. However, one critical aspect of any IT system to mitigate the tsunami hazard is its ability to detect and accurately assess the nature of the threat posed by the hazard, with minimal false alarms. Accurate hazard detection is a key element for a successful mitigation model which can be used to identify, develop and categorize most of the activities necessary to effectively reduce the inevitable impact of tsunamis. Continued efforts to improve all aspects of current detection systems are still needed to ensure the safety of coastal residents and minimize property damage when the next tsunami inevitably occurs.

This proposal for a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) brings together experts from the information technology and disaster management communities to collaboratively focus on a key element for an effective tsunami mitigation infrastructure, namely early and accurate detection of potential tsunami threats. Our primary goal of is to identify and examine the issues related to the development of a fully integrated socio-technical solution for early tsunami (and related maladies) detection that affects the South East Asian region. The research team will seek dynamic, adaptive, and robust infrastructures which can evolve from a small set of primitive sensors into a knowledge network capable of sensing and communicating data accurately and reliably. As a result of the general approach we intend to take in achieving this goal, combined with the practical experience we anticipate to gain from dealing with a concrete tsunami situation, the technology developed under this proposal will be directly applicable to the early detection of rapid onset natural hazards other than tsunamis.