General Info

Technical Info

SCSTW3: South China Sea Tsunami Workshop 3

03-05 November 2009 USM Penang, Malaysia

The website for scstw3 is: http://math.usm.my/scstw3/

Following the success of SCSTW 1 (Taiwan 2007) and 2 (Shanghai 2008), a consensus has been reached to organize SCSTW3 from 03 to 05 November 2009 in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in collaboration with Cornell University USA and Syiah Kuala University Aceh, Indonesia. Several universities and government agencies have confirmed keen interest to co-host. Consistent with past traditions of SCSTW, the host will provide limited funding to support this workshop, including partial financial support for selected paper presenters to cover travel and hotel. No registration fees will be charged. A study trip will be organized on 04 November to conduct onsite survey in Penang beaches impacted by the 26 December 2004 tsunami.

Abstract Submission

More details will be available later

Preamble

The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami have highlighted vulnerabilities to extreme natural hazardous events in the world coastal communities. Most of the damage occurred because neither a tsunami early warning system nor a simple communication network was put in place among the countries in the region. Public education, total risk management and coastal zone planning to mitigate tsunami hazard were also non-existent in the region. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, many countries have been working independently and collectively to develop early tsunami warning systems for the Indian Ocean region countries. USA has committed more than $50 millions over the next several years to deploy 29 new deep ocean sensor systems in the Pacific Ocean rim and Caribbean Sea.

South China Sea Tsunami Hazards

Recently the USGS issued a report confirming potential risk of tsunami sources along the entire Pacific seduction zones. It identified the Manila (Luzon) trench as a high risk zone, where the Eurasian plate is actively subducting eastward underneath the Luzon volcanic arc on the Philippine Sea plate. Two other medium risk subduction zones in the neighboring area are also identified. These subduction zones can rupture and generate large tsunamis in the future that will have devastating impacts on the countries in the South China Sea region.

Past workshop on Earthquake and Tsunami

Attention to tsunami hazard mitigation planning, total risk management and early warning system development has been primarily focused on the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. As a consequence, potential devastating tsunami disasters in the South China Sea regions have been overlooked. During the NUS-TMSI workshop on “Earthquake and Tsunami: From Source to Hazard” conducted in Singapore in 2007 (http://et2007.org/), participants of the workshop supported the idea of forming an annual series of SCSTW workshops to conduct and report research on regional tsunami hazard mitigation plan, total risk management and an early warning system in the South China Sea region.

Objectives of SCSTW Workshops

The specific objectives of these SCSTW workshops include:
1. To review on-going tsunami early warning program for Indian Ocean region;
2. To review on-going tsunami research in the South China Sea SCS region;
3. To discuss research and implementation plans for tsunami early warning system, total risk management and coastal hazard mitigation programs.

South China Sea Tsunami Workshop 1 (2007) and 2 (2008)

Following the above initiative, the first South China Sea Tsunami Workshop 1 (SCSTW1) was held in the Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan on 5-7 December 2007. The sponsors include the Academia Sinica, Cornell University and many other research universities and institutions. The second South China Sea Tsunami Workshop 2 (SCSTW2) was held in the Academic Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China between 1 and 3 December 2008. The sponsors include the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Cornell University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University among others.

Journal Publications and Funding

All presented papers in SCSTW3 will be published in a proceeding. Selected papers will be published in an ISI journal or an academic book. The required funds to support SCSTW3 have been secured from several sources. More details will be provided later. No registration fees will be charged. We are in the process of securing additional agencies/institutes to co-host this workshop.

Contact Persons:

SCSTW3 website will be developed soon.
Prof Koh Hock Lye hlkoh@cs.usm.my
Dr Teh Su Yean su_yean@hotmail.com; syteh@usm.my

Accommodation: Hotel Vistana Penang and others (details to follow)

Dated 18 March 2009