Govt sets up tsunami early warning system

Govt sets up tsunami early warning system

JAKARTA: Following the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh and North
Sumatra, the government is setting up a tsunami early warning
system it claims will be able to predict incoming killer waves
only five minutes after an initial earthquake.

The system would be supported by 10 regional centers and would
be integrated by a national center that would further disseminate
a real-time warning to areas across the Indian and Pacific Ocean,
said Wendy Aritonang, of the science application division of the
Office of the State Minister for Research and Technology.

The Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG) will cooperate
with other institutions equipped with better seismographic and
maritime equipment, such as the Coordinating Body for Survey and
National Charting Development Board (Bakorsurtanal), port
operator PT Pelindo, the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology
(BPPT).

The establishment of the system, which would include
observation of earthquakes, sea level and tsunami simulation,
would be assisted by Norway, Germany and China. --Antara