The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forged a crucial partnership to maintain vital tsunami detection capabilities across the Pacific Ocean through a new funding arrangement with Alaska-based seismic monitoring operations.
Through this collaboration with the Alaska Mesonet and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Alaska Earthquake Center, NOAA will financially support nine earthquake monitoring stations that deliver essential real-time tsunami warning data.
“Seismic stations are an important dataset for NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Centers to provide real-time warnings that save lives amid tsunamis and related hazards,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “NOAA’s National Weather Service is committed to providing the fastest hazard warnings possible to Americans.”
The partnership ensures continuous data transmission for communities across Alaska, particularly those in the Aleutian Islands where tsunami waves can reach shore in just minutes, as well as Pacific Northwest coastal areas and the broader Pacific region. NOAA’s financial support will cover essential operations including computer system upkeep, around-the-clock emergency response capabilities, data quality verification, ongoing station oversight, and facility maintenance.
Alaska’s congressional delegation praised the initiative’s life-saving potential. “The Alaska Earthquake Center is an unparalleled resource, helping to keep Alaskans safe from natural disasters—on land or at sea,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski. “In partnership with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, funding for seismic sensors in the Aleutians strengthens real-time warnings across the region. I appreciate NOAA’s work to find a solution to continue the important monitoring capacities that save lives.”
Senator Dan Sullivan emphasized Alaska’s unique vulnerability to seismic events. “The Alaska Earthquake Center is essential to keeping Alaska’s people, communities, and infrastructure safe,” said Senator Dan Sullivan. “Alaska sits in one of the most seismically active regions in the world, facing constant risk from earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. Our communities rely on the National Weather Service and its partners—including the Alaska Earthquake Center—for timely and accurate data, research, and monitoring that enable swift public communication and effective preparedness for all hazards.”
The partnership became official on March 1, 2026, operating under the National Weather Service’s National Mesonet Program. This initiative acquires observational information from various monitoring networks managed by private companies and state-university partnerships, enhancing NOAA’s existing observation infrastructure to strengthen weather and water forecasting models nationwide and globally.
