Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
Minister of Land and Environment Dean Peart (left), prepares to sign the historic statement of intent for the establishment of a tsunami early warning system in the Caribbean to mark Earthquake Awareness Week at the office of the Ministry of Land and Environment, Kingston, while United States Ambassador Brenda Johnson (seated), Dr. Margaret Grandison, head of the earthquake unit (left) and Donavan Stanberry, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Land and Environment, look on. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
JAMAICANS SHOULD be able to rest a bit easier by the end of the year, as by then, a tsunami warning centre should be operating in Manchester.
The United States Ambassador, Brenda Johnson, and Land and Environment Minister Dean Peart, yesterday signed a statement of intent which officially kicked off the process to have the centre developed.
The project will be funded by the United States Government and will be part of a regional tsunami warning system, incorporating nine Caribbean islands.
A site has been identified at Pike in Manchester where the state-of-the-art centre will be developed.
SEISMOGRAPH STATION
Dr. Margaret Grandison, head of the earthquake unit, explained how the system will work.
She said the centre in Manchester will be a seismograph station. It will be linked via satellite to the National Earthquake Information Centre in the United States, which will be monitoring the system in real time, on a non-stop basis.
Whenever an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or higher (which has the potential to cause a tsunami) is detected, the agency will contact NOAH, the United States agency which has sensors to detect tsunami waves in the sea.
If NOAH does detect any tsunami activity, the agency will inform the areas that will be affected. After that, it is up to those countries to respond accordingly.
Members of the military will be trained to operate the equipment and will also be involved in constructing the centre. The value of the centre and the equipment to be used there, is estimated at US$200,000.
