Sonardyne Tsunami Warning System Chosen To Watch For India

Jan. 29, 2009 - PRLog -- Sonardyne International Ltd of Yateley, UK, has delivered the latest batch of acoustic monitoring sensors that will oversee the Indian coastline by providing the early detection and warning of tsunami waves. The network of new sensors will be deployed alongside the existing Sonardyne sensors in the Bay of Bengal and off the west coast off India where they will continuously monitor the ocean for the characteristic water pressure changes that indicate a developing tsunami.

           The Sonardyne monitors are based upon sophisticated subsea transponders equipped with highly accurate pressure sensors that are positioned on the seabed hundreds of miles off the Indian coast. If one of the transponders detects a small, but continuous, change in water pressure it transmits an acoustic emergency warning signal to a radio buoy moored on the surface above it. The buoys are operated by NIOT (National Institute of Ocean Technology) of India and they relay the warnings via a satellite link to the organisation’s headquarters in Chennai. From there, alerts can be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in time for precautions to be taken.

           The contract for a tsunami detection system for India was awarded to Sonardyne following an initial trial early in 2007 when systems from Sonardyne and three other manufacturers were evaluated. Only the Sonardyne sensors performed satisfactorily so the company was asked to supply a further eight monitoring transponders which were installed to provide immediate coverage for the areas at most risk. The latest delivery of sensors completes the Indian early warning network and now provides monitoring for India’s entire coastline.

           The success of the Sonardyne system is attributed to its use of proven acoustic technology that is in everyday use in the offshore oil and gas industry. Sonardyne is a leading supplier of subsea navigation, positioning and communications systems for this industry and the company’s Compatt 5 acoustic transponder proved to be the ideal hardware platform on which to base the tsunami detection sensor.

The reliability of the Sonardyne detection system was convincingly demonstrated to NIOT when the first sensors had only just been laid. The NIOT ship Sagar Manjusha was returning to Chennai after the deployment of six tsunami buoys. When the ship was an hour from port, one of the Sonardyne sensors it had just laid registered a tsunami warning, triggering an alert to NIOT. The vessel was prevented from entering the harbour for berthing and all vessels in Chennai port were evacuated as a precaution. Although a dangerous tsunami did not develop, it was felt that the Sonardyne system had proved its reliability and effectiveness.  

             The National Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean is a collective project initiated by the Ministry of Earth Sciences of India. It was launched following the devastating tsunami of December 2004 and has become a significant demonstration of Indian expertise. Responsibility for development and deployment of the tsunami buoy system and the algorithm for the seabed pressure reference systems was given to NIOT. The tsunami prediction modelling and the final prediction was assigned to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad. The use of specialized acoustic technology from Sonardyne has enabled the creation of a system that now provides reassurance to vulnerable communities living around the coast of India.

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-ENDS-

Business enquiries contact:

Richard Binks,

Sonardyne International Ltd, Blackbushe Business Park, Yateley, Hampshire, GU46 6GD UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1252 872288   Fax: +44 (0)1252 876100                        www.sonardyne.com

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The Sonardyne is based in Yateley, Hampshire, UK with regional operating subsidiaries in Singapore, Houston, Aberdeen and Brazil. The company is a world leader in the design and manufacture of underwater acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, subsea communications and sonar technology systems for the offshore oil and gas, ocean scientific and maritime security industries.