Circular Letter 2020

Paris, 18 April 2002

Circular Letter No.  2020
(English only)

To:            All ITSU National Co-ordinators
                ITSU Member States

cc:           Chairman, Vice-Chairmen IOC
                Chairman, Vice-Chairman ITSU
                Director ITIC

Subject:   ITIC Visiting Experts Programme 2002

Dear Sir/Madam,

By means of this letter I would like to invite your country to nominate a candidate to the ITIC Visiting Experts Programme which will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA from May 28, 2002 to June 11, 2002, under the auspices of the ITIC. The Program, under the direction of the Director, International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), provides participants with an overview of the history and operation of the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific.  Specific focus is given to the important role of regional and national tsunami warning centers in monitoring and evaluating the tsunamigenic potential of earthquakes, and in issuing timely tsunami warning messages to government emergency officials who can then act to save lives and reduce damage to coastal communities.  The Program provides training and familiarization with the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, Regional Warning Systems, and Civil Defense procedures as carried out by the US federal, state, and local governments.

This year, the Program will be held in conjunction with the Second International Tsunami Symposium to be held May 28-31, 2002, at the East-West Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.  Participants will attend the General Session on Historical Tsunamis, Tsunami Physics, Vulnerability, and Mega-Tsunamis, the US National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program session, and attend a field trip to observe tsunami deposits from the 1946 Aleutian, 1952 Kamchatka, and the 1960 Chile tsunamis.  In addition, Visiting Experts are invited to put up a poster paper at the Symposium outlining their countries’ current and/or future efforts in the areas of tsunami warning and/or tsunami research.  Additional meeting information can be found at http://www.sthjournal.org/stsp.htm.

During the second week, participants scientists will engage in a series of morning informational presentations at ITIC followed by afternoon field trips to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, to Emergency Operations Centers, and to seismic or water level station field sites.  On the last day of the Program, participants will be expected to make a brief presentation on the status of tsunami mitigation measures in their respective countries.  A preliminary agenda is attached in annex.

Only a few candidates will be selected to take part in the programme.

I would appreciate it if the names of the candidates are provided to the IOC Secretariat, Attention Peter Pissierssens, by 1 May 2002.

                                                                                 Yours sincerely,
                                                                                        P. Bernal
                                                                                Executive Secretary IOC