Users Guide

The IOC Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) Users Guide is intended for use by National Tsunami Warning Focal Points as customers receiving the tsunami threat information from TSPs.  TSPs information is regarded as advisory, since each country is responsible for determining its own level of alert and for issuing its own warnings to its population.  The Guide includes a summary of the operational procedures, instrument networks used, criteria for the reporting and issuing of tsunami alerts, recipients of the information, and the methods for message transmission. 

In the Pacific, there are 3 existing TSPs (PTWC entire Pacific, NWPTAC covering northwest Pacific, SCSTAC covering South China Sea) and 1 planned TSP (CATAC covering Central America).  In the Caribbean, there is only 1 TSP (PTWC).

On 1 October 2014, the US NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center  (PTWC)  commenced issuance of new forecast-based Enhanced Tsunami Products for all Pacific countries, culminating a 7-year intergovernmental process coordinated by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) through its Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS).

On 1 March 2016, the US NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center  (PTWC)  commenced issuance of new forecast-based Enhanced Tsunami Products for all Caribbean countries.  The PTWC PTWS and CARIBE-EWS products use the same forecast methodologies and the same graphical formats to depict the tsunami threat for for the basin and coastal polygons.

On 26 January 2018, the China National Marine Environmental Forecast Center South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center (SCSTAC) commenced trail issuance of regional products for the South China Sea region.

On 28 February 2019, the Japan Meteorological Agency Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center (NWPTAC) commenced issuance of its enhanced products, consisting of initial text messages compiled from a pre-established tsunami simulation database followed by graphical messages based on real-time simulation techniques.