A regional tsunami centre is to be established in Puerto Rico by the end of next year.

The Caribbean Tsunami Warning Centre (CTWC) will be funded by the United Nations and will also cover the North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, North America and Central America.

Although the risk of a tsunami hitting our Island is "extremely unlikely", according to Bermuda Weather Service director Mark Guishard, the CTWC will standardise national protocols and procedures to reduce response times.

The location of Puerto Rico was chosen at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions.

The ICG is responsible for coordinating a tsunami warning system under the mandate given to UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), to maintain global coverage.

It will also establish a Caribbean Tsunami Information Centre (CTIC).

Currently, the region is covered by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Pacific tsunami warning system, which has centres in Hawaii and Alaska.

It forwards data such as earthquake magnitude, location and depth, and whether a tsunami has been generated.

Locally, the Bermuda Weather Service is responsible for issuing warnings of tsunamis and hurricanes to the general public, via the Police and the Emergency Measures Organisation.

The Island's unique topography however, prevents the sea floor shoaling typical of a continental shelf.

Whereas a tsunami wave approaching a coastline will slow down and gain height with the shallowing of water, the Bermuda pedestal dissipates this.

Nevertheless, Dr. Guishard says higher resolution mapping of the sea floor is needed to accurately assess any threat. A plan for a computer model using ocean floor data to predict waves is now underway.

"Regarding Bermuda's state of readiness, the Government now has in place a series of standard operating procedures that cater for warnings and advice in the eventuality of a tsunami," said Dr. Guishard.

"The Bermuda Weather Service and other Government departments, in consultation with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, are also establishing a plan for the assessment of threat from tsunamis and other coastal hazards.

"This will likely involve the procurement of high resolution bathymetric (sea floor) data, towards the development of a local ocean computer model, and additional instrumentation to measure wave height and sea level."

He added: "The creation of such a model and installation of any sensors would be useful for other applications such as studies of marine waves, forecasting of currents and storm surge, coastal erosion monitoring, chemical and biological oceanography research, and marine navigation support."

Dr. Guishard and Jerome Aucan of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) represented Bermuda at the fourth session of the ICG in Martinique.

Dr. Guishard also represented the World Meteorological Organisation's Hurricane Committee, which advises on disaster prevention, preparedness, reduction of risk, and liaison with the emergency management community.

Dr. Aucan, an expert on physical oceanography and numerical computer modelling, is to advise the ICG Working Group on Hazard Assessment.