#28 Tsunami Observation
One of the most important things to do to save lives from a major tsunami is to evacuate to safety as soon as possible. The key to this is fast and accurate tsunami information. Once a life-threatening tsunami is detected, people living in risk areas have to evacuate to a place where they can escape from tsunami damage. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan has established a large-scale tsunami observation network on the ocean floor and is working to disseminate accurate and prompt tsunami information.
Reporter: Lemi Duncan
Hokkaido Prefecture's Hamanaka Town is expected to be hit by a huge tsunami from the Chishima Trench earthquake. Since the tsunami is expected to arrive shortly after the earthquake, it is important to start evacuation as soon as possible.
Dr. Shin AOI of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) speaks in the monitoring room of the earthquake and tsunami observation network. Observation data that promptly captures earthquakes and tsunamis throughout Japan, including ocean areas, is utilized for disaster prevention.
N-net, an undersea earthquake and tsunami observation network being developed off the coast of Shikoku and Kyushu in preparation for a possible Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake, is scheduled for completion in 2025.