Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART®)

An instrument for the early detection, measurement, and real-time reporting of tsunamis in the open ocean.

Developed by the US NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, the DART® system consists of a seafloor bottom pressure recording system capable of detecting tsunamis as small as one centimetre, and a moored surface buoy for real-time communications. An acoustic link is used to transmit data from the seafloor to the surface buoy. The data are then relayed via a satellite link to ground stations, which demodulate the signals for immediate dissemination to the NOAA tsunami warnings centres. The DART® data, along with state-of-the-art numerical modelling technology, are part of a tsunami forecasting system package that will provide site-specific predictions of tsunami impact on the coast.