West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

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West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
To save lives by providing timely, accurate
tsunami warnings and by increasing community
awareness of tsunami ready procedures
One of two Tsunami Warning Centers in the
U.S. WC/ATWC Palmer, Alaska PTWC Ewa Beach,
Hawaii
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Early Birds at the WCATWC ops room
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WC/ATWC Area-of-Responsibility

• WC/ATWC AOR
• US and Canadian Pacific Coast except Hawaii
• US and Canadian Atlantic Coast
• U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast
• Puerto Rico/VI
• US and Canadian Arctic Coast
• PTWC AOR
• Hawaii
• Pacific outside WCATWC AOR
• Interim Indian O.

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Generalized Tsunami Warning Operational Timeline
24/7 operation since April 2006 with 2 Scientists
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111144 SMY SP Alarm (False) 111340 COCO SP
Alarm (Real) 111342 Watchstander
responded COCO had a large LP signal KSM had
a large LP signal indicating a very large
earthquake 111505 KAPI SP Alarm (Real)
KSM
COCO
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• Initial Earthquake Analysis
• 111541 Analyzer Southern Sumatra Mwp 8.0
• 111559 Auto Mwp 8.0
• 1117 Panic switch
• 1120 Observatory Message, Mwp 8.0 (6 sta)

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52404, 52405
IO Watch, 8.2
IO Watch
WCATWC PTWC JMA USGS
IS, NAWAS
PO IS
IO Watch
rCMT 7.8
IO Watch
OM
CNN
BBC
23401
52402
Mwp
Mm
MS
Mw CMT
ML
Mb
10
52404, 52405
IO Watch
WCATWC PTWC JMA USGS
PTWC WCATWC PMEL USGS LDGO
PO IS
IO Watch
IO Watch
OM
BBC
23401
IO Watch Cancelled
IO Watch
IO Watch
IS, NAWAS
IO Watch
rCMT 8.2 LDEO 8.4
rCMT 8.1
41421
23401
130
230
330
430
530
200
300
400
500
600
Sea Level Obseration
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Total Watch Time 1100 hrs WCATWC staffs
8 Continues Watch 2 Days, (aftershocks 8.1,7.5)
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Initial Earthquake Analysis (OT 0424) 0427
Analyzer Kuril Islands Mwp 8.3 0428 Auto Mwp
8.3, Dart 46413 triggered (Surface Waves) 0429
Panic switch 0430 Observatory Messages (WCATWC,
JMA), Mwp 8.3 Darts 21413, 21414
triggered (Surface waves) 0431 Observatory
Messages (PTWC), Mwp 8.0 0432 WCATWC called PTWC
coordination (PTWC Mwp 8.4) 0433 Dart 46408
triggered (Surface Waves)
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warning
warning
warning
Cabcelled
Post Cabcellation
46408,46403 46405,46411
rCMT 8.2 LDEO 8.4
Post Cabcellation
warning
warning
warning
warning
warning
Cancelled
PTWC WCATWC
830
000
200
400
600
100
300
500
700
900
Sea Level Obseration
14
Total Watch Time 2024 WCATWC staffs 9