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Tsunami alert follows 8.2 quake off Chile

Overview

On April 1 at 4:46:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time (23:46:45 UTC), a magnitude 8.2 earthquake occurred off Chile's Pacific coastline, according to the US Geological Survey. Ocean Networks Canada instrumentation captured both ground shaking and a very small tsunami as they crossed the northeast Pacific.

ONC data supports latest research in tsunami modeling

Overview

Ali Abdolali is a young tsunami scientist and doctor in [coastal engineering](http://www.coastal.udel.edu/) at the University of Delaware, with a passion for pursuing mysteries of the unexplored deep sea. His findings were recently highlighted in the [Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, March 2015](http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/agu/jgr/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2169-9291/). Abdolali’s research group uses Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) data collected and archived during the 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami off Canada’s west coast to examine how precursor or “pressure” waves may inform tsunami early warning systems. “ONC infrastructure at NEPTUNE observing stations provided a unique dataset,” says Dr. Abdolali. “It is really easy to access the raw data, visualize the data online and download them”. The objective of tsunami modeling is to apply real data to develop reliable forecasts of tsunamis that propagate through the ocean and strike coastal communities. These models allow scientists to solve complex mathematical equations—requiring high performance computers—that can be applied to specific locations. According to Dr. Abdolali, there are few deep sea observatories like ONC that are equipped with bottom pressure recorders and hydrophones, but are also capable of providing the required sampling frequency he needed for his research.

A Canadian First: NOAA brings tsunami Digital Elevation Model training to Victoria, BC

Overview

When Kelly Carignan, University of Colorado scientist, visited Victoria, British Columbia for the first time in April 2016, she was surprised that no tsunami evacuation routes were posted in this coastal city. “In northern California you see a lot of tsunami hazard zone signs,” says Kelly. Fortunately for Victoria, Kelly was in town to lead a ground-breaking workshop that will contribute to improved emergency preparedness efforts in Canada’s coastal communities.

Tsunami Models Used for Preparedness Exercise in Port Alberni

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada’s preliminary tsunami models for Barkley Sound and the City of Port Alberni were integrated into Emergency Management BC’s first ever full-scale earthquake and tsunami response exercise: **Exercise Coastal Response in Port Alberni June 7 - 10.** Ocean Networks Canada in collaboration with University of Rhode Island has been developing new tsunami wave models for the area of Barkley Sound and the City of Port Alberni. New fault rupture models have been developed by Natural Resources Canada and University of Victoria personnel. Digital elevation models that reflect the morphology of these two areas have been developed in collaboration with NOAA-NCEI, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, GeoBC and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Together, the Digital elevation models and the rupture models allowed Ocean Networks Canada to generate tsunami models with the support from Emergency Management BC . Support from Compute Canada, Westgrid and researchers from University of Paris-Est and University of Alaska-Fairbanks has also been instrumental in this effort. These preliminary models provide time of arrival, wave height and inundation maps that are crucial tools for tsunami preparedness. These models, together with ONC’s observatories sensors and the new warning system under development will detect and forecast tsunamis for coastal and First Nations communities in British Columbia. Read the [Immediate Response Plan (PDF)](http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/provincial-emergency-planning/irp.pdf) in preparation for a real event. # Model Animations

Be Tsunami Prepared

Overview

Deadly tsunamis may be rare, but if you live in a coastal community it’s important to be informed and prepared. On 27 March 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake off the coast of Alaska generated a series of seismic waves down the west coast of North America, causing multiple tsunami waves to funnel up the narrow Port Alberni Inlet. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but the disaster damaged buildings, downed phone and power lines, and had a lasting impact on the community. Over the last few years, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) has been working with provincial, national and international partners to develop innovative tsunami modelling, measuring, monitoring and reporting methods that supports the creation of more accurate tsunami detection and inundation maps. Partners include Emergency Management British Columbia, [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/a-canadian-first-noaa-brings-tsunami-digital-elevation-model-training-to-victoria-bc/), Canadian Hydrographic Service, GeoBC, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Natural Resources Canada, University of Victoria, IBM, Compute Canada and Westgrid.

Resilience through preparedness: remembering the 1964 ‘Good Friday’ tsunami

Overview

56 years ago, the ‘Good Friday’ earthquake rocked the Gulf of Alaska, causing a major tsunami to roll across the Pacific Ring of Fire on the evening of 27 March 1964. Few in Tofino were aware of the magnitude 9.2 earthquake or the alerts being sent by the US tsunami warning centre. Three and a half hours after the shaking, a series of tsunami waves swept over beaches and strong currents scoured the Pacific northwest coastline (Figure 1). Being early springtime and late at night in a sparsely populated Tofino, the area suffered no fatalities or injuries and only minor damage was reported. The event was a wake-up call for a risk that was not well understood nor well prepared for.