This warning system links for the first time a multitude of various measurement stations which have been established throughout Indonesia as part of the project. This measurement network includes seismometers, GPS, and coastal water gauge stations. The data they collect are brought together in a central decision support system, compared there with simulations of tsunami propagation and complex risk assessments, and presented in a way that permits rapid and sound decision making despite the mass of data.
The decision support system was developed and implemented by DLR’s German Remote Sensing Data Center. "With the Tsunami Early Warning System the technical foundation has now been created for lasting and reliable operation," explained Prof. Dech, DFD director. "Important tasks are now disaster prevention, communicating the warning over wide areas, and supporting instruction and training."
The entire system was developed under the aegis of the Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ) together with German research institutions. Until 2014, German scientists will continue to support the Indonesian partner organizations in training the local staff of experts and optimizing the system’s operation.