The Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) system is a component of an enhanced tsunami warning system.

Each DART station consists of a seafloor bottom pressure recording (BPR) package that detects pressure changes caused by tsunamis and a surface buoy which serves three purposes. It receives transmitted information from the BPR via an acoustic link and it also monitors the surface conditions. The buoy then transmits both data to a GOES satellite, which retransmits the data to ground stations. ^* The buoy and BPR together are called a "tsunameter", and each one costs about USD 250,000.

Prototype development began in 1995 and the first four DART stations were in place by 2000. The buoys have a design life of one year and the BPRs are designed to be deployed for 2 years at a time.

As of 2004, there were six DART stations deployed in the Pacific; however, due to heightened concerns in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its subsequent tsunamis, plans were announced to deploy an additional 32 DART buoys by mid-2007. ^* These would include stations in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean for the first time.

List of stations and their locations as of March 2006

• Buoy 32401 19.70S 74.82W located off the coast of Northern Chile
• Buoy 41420 23.31N 67.64W located off the coast of Eastern Florida
• Buoy 41421 23.40N 63.90W located off the coast of Northern Puerto Rico
• Buoy 41424 32.93N 72.47W located off the coast of Eastern South Carolina
• Buoy 42407 15.26N 68.23W located off the coast of Southern Puerto Rico
• Buoy 42408 25.41N 86.80W located off the coast of Southern Louisiana
• Buoy 46401 46.63N 170.79W located in the North Pacific Ocean off the Aleutian Islands
• Buoy 46402 50.44N 165.02W located in the North Pacific Ocean off the Aleutian Islands
• Buoy 46403 52.65N 156.94W located in the North Pacific Ocean off the Aleutian Islands
• Buoy 46404 45.86N 128.78W located off the coast of Northern Oregon
• Buoy 46405 42.90N 130.91W located off the coast of Southern Oregon
• Buoy 46406 8.49S 125.02W located south of the equator
• Buoy 46409 55.30N 148.50W located in the North Pacific Ocean off the Aleutian Islands
• Buoy 46411 39.35N 127.01W located off the coast of Northern California
• Buoy 46412 32.25N 120.70W located off the coast of Southern California
• Buoy 51407 19.63N 156.51W located off the coast of Hawaii

Buoy 46401 and Buoy 46402 failed during 2004 and were replaced in May 2005 after the severe winter storm season ended. On December 5, 2005 Buoy 46401 drifted away. On July 11, 2005 Buoy 46403 drifted away and its recovery is expect to take place in September. In November 2004, Buoy 46404 ceased working and was removed for repair. On January 16, 2005 it was returned to service. After some intermittent operation, it has provided steady service until it failed again on November 7, 2005. Buoy 46405 broke free and was recovered. As of March 2006, it has not been replaced.

^*

See also

• Global Sea Level Observing System
• Tsunami warning system
• Tsunami

External links

• http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami/Dart/
• http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Dart/dart.shtml
• Realtime DART buoy data from the National Data Buoy Center

Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis

Physical oceanography | Tsunami