In a hypothetical environment of a tsunami reported near the coast of Ecuador with magnitude of 8.8 Mw and 8.9 Mw, the Second Regional Tsunami Exercise of the Southeast Pacific Tsunami Warning Working Group (GT ATPS) began, where Colombia participated through the National Tsunami Warning Center (CNAT), of the Maritime Directorate (Dimar).
The exercise was led by the Chilean Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA), which acted as a Tsunami Service Provider, simulating the sending of bulletins issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).
The objective of this activity, carried out in recent days, was to identify opportunities for cooperation among the members of the GT ATPS in the face of the loss of communication and operation of the Tsunami Warning Center of Ecuador, in order to test alternative channels to provide tsunami information by the GT ATPS CNATs.
In the same way, in Colombia, the participation of the Port Authorities and Traffic Control and Maritime Surveillance Stations of the Colombian Pacific coast stands out, who took advantage of the environment of the exercise to test their procedures in the assistance of tsunami events, as well as the communication channels that exist for the regional offices of the General Maritime Directorate and its Headquarters in Bogotá.
The coordination and development of this exercise is part of the activities programmed by the GT ATPS for 2021; the first regional exercise was organized and led by Ecuador, through the Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute of the Navy of Ecuador (INOCAR); the second by Chile with the SHOA.
Colombia and Peru will be the leaders of the third and fourth exercises, who will organize this space through the National Tsunami Warning Centers, respectively.
Participation in these events at national and international level, have been carried to verify the operation of the communication procedures of the National Centres of Alerts against Tsunamis and the communication protocol of the regional GT ATPS, in order to continuously improve the processes and have an adequate response in case of a warning of this category.
Source: press-Colombian Navy
