IH-Tsunamis System (IH-Tsusy) is an online operational system that supports tsunami analysis.
Developed by IHCantabria in 2016, has been in operation ever since; It was initially implemented as an android native app that was downloaded by more than 20,000 cell phones worldwide until 2024 (when the app was retired). During this time, IH-Tsusy app, based on the seismic data gathered from US Geological Service, USGS, has provided notifications and interactive maps containing tsunami amplitude (or wave height) and tsunami travel times of the wave from the area where it was generated to the potentially affected coastal areas. During this time, the system collected 5315 seismic events, simulating 433 tsunamis.
Since 2024, efforts have been focused on adapting the tool for incorporation as a new service under the European Plate Observing System (EPOS), specifically under the Tsunami Thematic Core Service. Currently, the service is a web application (PWA), which performs tsunami simulations and integrates them into a global database, as described below.
IH-Tsunamis System (IH-Tsusy) is an online operational system that supports tsunami analysis through two main components:
Tsunami Propagation Simulation.
Following an earthquake happening anywhere in the world, seismic data from the USGS is gathered and processed. Afterwards, an artificial neural network (ANN), specifically trained to assess the tsunamigenic potential of seismic events, analyses the seismic source parameters. If the model classifies the event as potentially tsunamigenic, a numerical simulation is then executed using the GPU-based Tsunami-HySEA code. The system estimates tsunami travel times and wave amplitude and displays the results in a geospatial viewer. IH-Tsusy produces results approximately 10 minutes after receiving the focal mechanism data.
Given the sensitivity of this information, the service provides open access to both the collected seismic data (from USGS) and the simulated tsunami results (wave height and travel times), once they have been stored in the historical tsunami database six hours after the completion of the simulation.
Historical Simulation Database.
The system features a continuously updated global database of earthquake assessments and tsunami numerical simulations, based on seismic data from the USGS and tsunami event data from NOAA.
This database, which includes simulation results for tsunami wave heights and tsunami arrival times, covers events from 1976 up to approximately six hours before the time of access to the tool.
Users can consult this service to access the simulated data (tsunami wave amplitude/height and tsunami travel times), the seismic characteristics that triggered the simulation (provided by USGS), and the corresponding maps.
The continuously updated global database is openly accessible to all users, offering simulation data for past events within the covered time frame.
