Transition of the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis network - a technology transfer from NOAA research to NOAA operations

The Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) network was established for the early detection and real time reporting of tsunamis in support of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP). Each DART station is occupied by a surface buoy and a bottom pressure recorder (BPR) anchored on the seafloor that monitors and reports water column height. An acoustic modem transfers BPR measured heights to the surface buoy which in turn relays the data to ground receivers via a NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). Data are then disseminated to NDBC for processing, quality control, and data display, to PMEL for diagnostic and research applications, and to the National Weather Services (NWS), two Tsunami Warning Centers in Alaska and Hawaii for providing warning guidance to coastal communities. Data are displayed and made available for download from the NDBC Web site URL: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart.shtml. Operational responsibility for the DART system is being transferred from a research lab (PMEL) to the appropriate operational center (NDBC). This paper gives a brief overview of the DART system followed by details of the transition process.