Summary
International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation
2006
Session Number:1A1
Session:
Number:1A1-4
How HF-Surface radar & HF-OTHR and GPS Technology and Infrasonic Imaging can favourably be implemented for detecting the On-set of Tsunamis and real-time imaging of its spreading
Wolfgang-Martin Boerner, Stuart J. Anderson,
pp.1-6
Publication Date:2006/11/2
Online ISSN:2188-5079
Summary:
Worldwide, medium to short term tsunami prediction is becoming ever more essential for safeguarding man due to an un-abating population increase within low-lying coastal regions of all of the affected oceans. But hitherto there have been no verifiable methods of reliable tsunami prediction developed - except for a few isolated examples of placing arrays of costly short-lived sensors along the ocean bottom requiring monthly re-calibration efforts. This dilemma is a result of not yet having identified the proper approaches to tsunami prediction. The question on whether there do exist reliable prediction methods was answered long ago by fauna living within the coastal littoral zone that is affected by tsunamis. Especially during the last devastating "Boxing Day 050426 Tsunami" caused by the Sumatra-Andaman "Super- Earthquake" of M = 9.3 with epicentre near Simeulue Island, there were many verifiable episodes on how fish escaped the affected coastal region in time; the elephants, water-buffalos and other non-domesticated animals rushed for higher ground locations well in time before the tsunami crest and subsequent swells approached, and so on. These observations provide proof that some electromagnetic or, more likely, infrasonic local warning signatures are received by these creatures relatively long before the approaching tsunami strikes. We presume that the signatures could be infrasonic waves travelling at high speeds as underwater surface waves that could be detected by marine fauna as well as coastal animals and birds. Tsunamis have existed for millions of years and fauna of the affected coastal region has developed instinctive warning mechanisms that we need to explore. Another promising natural sensor may utilize electromagnetic precursor signatures that yet need to be fully discovered. Both, the role electromagnetic phenomena and the role infrasonic signatures will be scrutinized. The results of successful post-event model reconstructions of viable electromagnetic and infrasonic precursor signatures will be presented.