Design and operational implementation of the integrated tsunami forecast and warning system in Chile (SIPAT)

Abstract

This work describes the design philosophy, operational implementation, and future development of the Integrated Tsunami Forecast and Warning System (henceforth SIPAT, by its acronym in Spanish), a complete Decision Support System of the National Tsunami Warning System of Chile. SIPAT provides a detailed tsunami hazard assessment rapidly once a seismic event occurs, discriminating between four hazard levels and providing a spatial discretization of the hazard along Continental, Insular, and Antarctic Chile. SIPAT delivers its assessment in less than 20 s, well below the five min threshold considered by the existing protocols, thereby allowing consecutive evaluations if they are considered necessary by the operators. SIPAT was initially developed under the framework of the Japan-Chile Research Project on Enhancement of Technology to Develop Tsunami Resilient Community, sponsored by SATREPS program by Japan Science and Technology Agency, and it continued development under the sponsorship of the National Council of Science and Technology of Chile. It became operational in SNAM in May 2016, and it was officially used for the first time on December 25, 2016 for the Quellón Event (Mw7.6), with successful results.