How does a tsunami warning system work?
The first line of defense are the seismographs which detect earthquakes and other causes of tsunami, but on their own, these would lead to false alarms. In the Pacific Tsunami Warning System,. Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting (DART) sensors use deep-sea pressure detectors that measure changes in water depth as a tsunami wave passes overhead. The sensors then transfer the information to a surface buoy, which relays it to the monitoring stations by satellite. The various warning centers then send out the information to the countries at risk. The final piece of the system is local operations centers that receive tsunami warnings and are responsible for getting the local community ready to act in the case of tsunami warning being received.
