The threat and actual reality of tsunamis have always been a hazard for those who live in certain areas on the coast. Japan has lately been affected, likewise Thailand, Sri Lanka and some parts of Africa. The Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 was the most memorable, killing over 150,000 people and making homeless thousands more. Its waves were reportedly over 9 metres high and the earthquake that generated it registered as a massive 9.0 on the Richter scale. Some believe that a warning system should have been in place before Boxing Day as it may have possibly prevented such a catastrophic death toll. However companies across the globe have presented a solution to the lack of public warning systems by implementing a text messaging service that informs the mobile user of imminent tsunami occurrences.
Tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and sometimes, but very rarely, meteorite collisions. They are also incorrectly called tidal waves, but they have nothing to do with tide systems. They travel at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour, almost undetected on the surface of the ocean. Often after the first wave, the second arrives an hour later and can be more powerful than the first. These series of waves can occur over a long period of time, sometimes days. Scientists are able to calculate the arrival of a tsunami based on when the event that produced it occurred, water depth and distances to land. Some obvious warning signs that a tsunami is about to occur are strong earthquake shakes and a rapid fall or rise in water levels.
Some public warning systems have been ineffectual and even television and radio broadcasts can sometimes be missed, especially if people are already enjoying a day at the beach. A text message would be sent straight to the subscribers mobile anywhere in the world with GSM coverage. Information from most text technology services are supplied by The Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the West Coast & Alaskan Tsunami Warning Centre and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. These centers monitor the ocean for earthquakes and abnormal changes in sea levels using seismic-monitoring stations and sea level gauges.
The text technology warning service is endorsed by many scientists and tsunami survivors, some saying that had they been forewarned, their losses would not have been so great. Professor Ted Bryant, from Wollongong University says, “ You wait long enough and live by the coast, you will get some tsunami affecting your coastline in your lifetime.” This new service seems set to be the most reliable tsunami warning method as yet available, but what of those in countries that haven’t the technology available to them? Some people don’t have sufficient means to afford mobile phones, or they are in areas without coverage. Perhaps in this case, a better method of warning could be set in place to alert the public at risk. Earlier notification of the possibility of such events occurring could save thousands, even millions of dollars in aid and other international services, not to mention the thousands of lives at risk. In a time where most technology is harmful to us in some way, it is pleasing to note that finally something beneficial can result from owning a mobile phone, other than having your favourite song as a ring tone.
