The First scheduled operation of the BSCSTAC

Backup South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center (Hong Kong) completes its first regular operations

Chan Wai-soen

The Backup South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Center (Hong Kong) (BSCSTAC), established by the Hong Kong Observatory on the invitation of the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC), was officially put into operation on 29 March 2023. In December 2023, it took over for the first time from the main centre in Beijing, and provided regular tsunami alert services to nine countries around the South China Sea for two weeks. This marks an enhancement of the Observatory’s capabilities to monitor, prepare for, and respond to potential tsunamis, and ensures the continuity and reliability of the South China Sea tsunami alert system.

During the regular operation of the BSCSTAC, Dr Li Hongwei (second from left), an expert from the NMEFC, was invited to discuss the tsunami monitoring and alert system.