Historical earthquakes, tsunamis and real-time earthquake monitoring for tsunami advisory in the South China Sea region

Oct 26, 2026

Upload by Asher

The South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center (SCSTAC), established by China under UNESCO-IOC, began full operation on November 5, 2019, operating 24×7 with continuous shifts to monitor tsunami hazards threatening South China Sea bordering countries. Before starting, SCSTAC strengthened its capability over the prior 10 years, focusing on real-time earthquake monitoring and processing systems aligned with international tsunami warning service standards. The paper reviews initiation steps and developments of the region’s tsunami warning and mitigation systems, describes tectonic settings and historical event characteristics, and details rapid source-parameter estimation using real-time seismic waveforms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Tsunami disaster background and regional vulnerability

Institutional and system development steps in the South China Sea region

SCSTAC operations and monitoring services

Natural Hazards (2021) 107:771–793 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s1](https://doi.org/10.1007/s1)1069-021-04605-z ORIGINAL PAPER Historical earthquakes, tsunamis and real‑time earthquake monitoring for tsunami advisory in the South China Sea region Zhiguo Xu, et al. [full author details at the end of the article] Received: 16 July 2020 / Accepted: 23 January 2021 / Published online: 11 February 2021 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature 2021 Abstract The South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center (SCSTAC) established by China, under the aegis of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO/IOC), had inaugurated commencing its full operation on November 5, 2019. This center is operating 24 × 7 h and round-the-clock shift to monitor tsunami hazard that pose a serious threat to countries which bordering the South China Sea (SCS) region. Prior to the official operation, SCSTAC had taken action for the last 10 years in upgrading their technology capability which are real-time earthquake monitoring and the processing system that is crucial to be able providing the international standard of tsunami warning services in the SCSand its adjacent areas. This paper briefly reviewed on the initiation steps and its developments of the South China Sea region Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems, tectonic setting as well as the characteristics of historical earthquakes and tsunamis in the region. In addition, we highlighted the structure and basic functions of the earthquake monitoring and processing system, earthquake location, source mechanism solution and finite fault model inversion using the real-time seismic waveform data from regional and global seismographic networks that will result in the rapid source parameters estimation for a larger earthquake in tsunami warning. Numerous simulations and hands-on events have shown that the preliminary earthquake parameters could be determined less than 8 min after earthquake. The W phase method is used and be able to produce rapid and reliable estimation of the moment magnitude and source mechanism for larger events within 10–15 min from earthquake origin time. A finite fault model can be acquired just after the earthquake event via computing teleseismic body-wave inversion program. The earthquake monitoring and processing system provide accurate and reliable information in contributing to tsunami warning services, thus promoting the development of tsunami warning technologies, which enhancing the tsunami warning capability and tsunami emergency responses. These highend technology can be used in facilitating others such as marine disaster prevention, mitigation and its risk reduction. Keywords South China Sea region · Tsunami warning · Preliminary earthquake parameters · Focal mechanism · Finite fault model · Tsunami simulation 1 Introduction On December 26, 2004, a MW9.0 (Harvard CMT) earthquake rumbled in the deep in thesea off the coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The giant tsunami was generated from the earthquake, and it prompted immediate warning around the world that claimed more than 283,100 people and caused destruction to the surrounding as the waves sped out across Indian Ocean (Athukorala and Resosudarmo 2005; Wang and Liu 2006) . There was an unprecedented response to the disaster. It has drawn quick responses and attentions from nearby local communities to react first, mobilizing whatever resources they had, followed by fast national responses and later a huge global responses including China. The SCS and its surrounding areas are situated at the boundaries of three major plate: Eurasian, the Pacific and the India–Australia. The convergence of these plates has resulted in frequent occurrence of complex tectonic regime in the region such as earthquakes, volcanic activities and tsunamis. This region covers not only the SCS but also its adjacent basins, Sulu Sea and Selebes Sea (Sulawesi Sea), and is ch

FAQs

What is the SCSTAC and when did it start full operation?

SCSTAC is the South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center established under UNESCO-IOC, and it began full operation on November 5, 2019.

What capabilities did SCSTAC develop before full operation?

It upgraded real-time earthquake monitoring and the processing system required to provide international-standard tsunami warning services in the South China Sea and adjacent areas.

How does the paper describe rapid earthquake source estimation for tsunami warning?

It highlights monitoring and processing that use real-time seismic waveform data to estimate earthquake location and source mechanism, with preliminary parameters obtainable in less than 8 minutes and W-phase based estimates of moment magnitude and mechanism within 10–15 minutes.

Oct 26, 2026

Upload by Asher