Indonesia launches tsunami warning system

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 05:07 in Earth & Climate

Indonesia today launched a sophisticated new tsunami warning system designed to give coastal residents enough time to flee or seek shelter from an impending tidal wave.The national system aims to protect the inhabitants of the archipelago's vast coast and prevent a deadly repeat of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 168,000 people in Indonesia alone.But even as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the system in Jakarta, officials conceded it would be several years yet before it is fully complete and the whole coastline protected.In particular, deep-sea warning buoys have yet to be installed around Bali, Flores and northern Sumatra — which includes Aceh where most lost their lives in the tsunami — with the result that there could be delays in predicting a tsunami and issuing warnings.However, much of the complex system of sensors, satellite communications and computer modelling is already in place ahead of the 2010 completion target...

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