EOMF-04. Discovering Historical Tsunami Data Through Time-Lapse Animation

Abstract
The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and collocated World Data Service (WDS) for Geophysics provide data management and access to global tsunami data. NCEI/WDS’s Global Historical Tsunami Database includes information on over 2300 tsunami events from 2000 B.C. to the present. The tsunami events were gathered from scientific and scholarly sources, regional and worldwide catalogs, tide gauge data, deep ocean sensor data, individual event reports, and unpublished works. Available data includes information on tsunami sources, tsunami wave heights and socio-economic impacts (i.e. death, property damages). NCEI/WDS developed an animated, interactive map (controlled with a time slider) displaying global historical tsunami events since 1850. Tsunami events with low validities (1=very doubtful tsunami) to high validities (4=definite tsunami) are displayed. The new animated web map is implemented with the ArcGIS API for JavaScript, ReactJS, and a NOAA GeoPlatform (ArcGIS Online) hosted feature layer; utilizing Esri's cloud infrastructure offers flexible visualization options and fast performance. Combined with a newly developed, educational STEM activity, this interactive web map should serve as an introduction to historical tsunami events and associated data for K-12 and general public audiences.