NOAA cuts seismic data used for tsunami warnings on West Coast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has terminated a contract with the Alaska Earthquake Center that helped maintain some seismic stations and transmit real-time data.

Alaska state seismologist and center director Michael West warned that ending the contract, which is nearly two decades old, will lead to less accurate and timely warnings of tsunamis that could affect Alaska, Hawaii and the West Coast.

It is unclear why NOAA chose to terminate the contract, which is worth about $300,000 annually. David Snyder, tsunami warning coordinator at NOAA's National Tsunami Warning Center, declined to comment, referring to NOAA Public Affairs, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Every time an earthquake occurs, NOAA's tsunami warning centers determine whether a tsunami alert will be issued within five minutes. Depending on where the earthquake strikes, coastal communities could have anywhere from 20 minutes to six hours to evacuate or prepare for a tsunami.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has two tsunami warning centers, established decades ago after tsunamis killed more than 100 people. One is located in Alaska alert locations along the West Coast, Alaska, and Canada, and the other is located in Hawaii, and is responsible for alerting the Pacific and Caribbean regions of the United States, the Hawaiian Islands, and the British Virgin Islands.

Not all earthquakes cause tsunamis, and tides and underwater terrain often play a role in how these tsunamis affect coastal areas. Earthquakes that move a small amount of ground and move from side to side are much less likely to generate a tsunami than large earthquakes that move the crust up and down, West said.

He added that the accuracy of tsunami warnings depends on the quality of the data. This is where the Alaska Earthquake Center comes into play.

While the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network operates more than 600 seismic stations across two states, the Alaska Earthquake Center operates about 250 stations. The terminated contract supports real-time data exchange between the Alaska Earthquake Center and NOAA's Tsunami Warning Center, as well as operations at nine seismic stations, some in remote locations, West said.

Where Alaska lost its seismic stations

The Alaska Earthquake Center operates about 250 seismic stations in Alaska, most of which are funded by the USGS. Later this year, nine stations funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are scheduled to close.

He added that determining where to issue a tsunami warning and evacuate within a short period of time is difficult and sometimes inaccurate. However, without Alaska Earthquake Center data, tsunami warnings would become less accurate, West said.

Alaska is a breeding ground for tsunamis and earthquakes, thanks to the nearby subduction zone of the Aleutian Islands. He added that over the past century, there have been a large number of devastating tsunamis originating in Alaska.

“Statistically, the next big tsunami to hit the West Coast is most likely to come from Alaska,” West said.

While most of the Alaska Earthquake Center's seismic stations are funded by the USGS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has selected the sites and is funding the operations of about nine stations, he said. These stations will cease operations in November, similar to a few National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stations that were decommissioned after budget cuts in 2013.

It is difficult to obtain data from seismic stations in Alaska due to the ruggedness and remoteness of the area. When engineers are sent to check seismic stations, it may take a week or two before the weather clears enough for the return trip, he said. Data from remote stations is often transmitted via satellites, telephone lines, fiber-optic cables, and radio signals.

While there is an honest debate about how much data is too much and where, West said that was not the approach NOAA took when declining to renew the contract.

West said he was informed via email on September 30 that the contract, which was to start on October 1, had not been renewed. West said he believes that in the current political climate and amid the funding chaos, the $300,000 allocated to the Alaska Earthquake Center likely has just been cut.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service have entered a state of uncertainty as the Department of Government Efficiency cuts spending and jobs for hundreds of employees across the country.

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Amanda Zhou: 206-464-2508 or [email protected]. Amanda Chu is a climate and environment reporter at The Seattle Times, where she writes about energy, environmental justice, the intersection of urban planning and climate change — and sometimes birds.

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