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Tsunami Exercises

Handbooks for most of the exercises below are available online at Tsunami.gov. Additional materials are available at the following links:

  • CARIBE WAVE (and some older LANTEX) International Materials (English, Spanish, and French)
  • Puerto Rico Seismic Network CARIBE WAVE (and some older LANTEX) Materials (Spanish and English)
  • Pacific Wave Materials
  • Additional Information and International Exercise Materials
  • Note: Products and models have evolved over the years, and warning center designated service areas have shifted. Older exercise materials may not reflect current services and capabilities.

    Upcoming Exercises

    Date Exercise Scenario(s)
    Magnitude Source
    March 19, 2020 CARIBE WAVE 20
    A Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Tsunami Warning Exercise
    TBD Jamaica, Portugal
    March 24, 2020 LANTEX 20
    An Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    Mw8.8 Lisbon, Portugal
    March 26, 2020 @1700 UTC PACIFEX 20
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    M8.5 50.0N, 127.5W (coast of Vancouver Island) at a depth of 9 miles

    Past Exercises

    Date Exercise Scenario(s)
    Magnitude Source
    March 26, 2019 LANTEX 19
    An Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.5 North of Hispaniola
    19.21N 68.73W
    22 km deep
    March 20, 2019 PACIFEX 19
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.8 Off the Northern Mariana Islands
    22.70N 144.40E
    20 km deep
    March 14, 2019 CARIBE WAVE 19
    A Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Tsunami Warning Exercise
    6.0 Kick 'em Jenny submarine volcano (Windward Islands)
    12.3N 61.6W
    10 km deep
    8.5 North of Panama
    10.0N 78.5W
    25 km deep
    September 1 to November 30, 2018 (in conjunction with World Tsunami Awareness Day on November 5) Pacific Wave 2018
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Enhanced Products Exercise
    8.1 Samoa Islands region (2009 event, Tonga trench)
    15.489S 172.095W
    18 km deep
    8.8 Near coast of Central Chile (2010 event, Peru-Chile trench)
    36.122S 72.898W
    23 km deep
    9.1 Near coast of Honshu, Japan (2011 event, Japan trench)
    38.297N 142.373E
    29 km deep
    8.0 Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands (2013 event, South Solomon trench)
    10.799S 165.114E
    24 km deep
    9.0 Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands (South Solomon trench)
    10.799S 165.114E
    24 km deep
    8.8 Philippines (Manila trench, South China Sea)
    14.4N 119.5E
    30 km deep
    9.0 Tonga (Tonga trench)
    20.0S 173.4W
    20 km deep
    March 26, 2018 PACIFEX 18
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.2 Shumagin Islands (off the tip of the Alaska Peninsula)
    54.5N 158.5W
    17.6 km deep
    March 21, 2018 LANTEX 18
    An Atlantic tsunami warning exercise
    7.5 (landslide) Southeast of Boston, Massachusetts
    40.0N 70.0W
    7 km deep
    March 15, 2018 CARIBE WAVE 18
    A Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.6 Barbados
    12.20N 58.30W
    15 km deep
    8.1 Colombia (Caribbean Sea)
    11.5N 74.8W
    15 km deep
    7.6 Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea, 1918 event)
    18.3N 67.8W
    10 km deep
    March 29, 2017 PACIFEX 17
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.5 West northwest of Vancouver
    50.0N 127.5W
    15 km deep
    March 22, 2017 LANTEX 17
    An Eastern Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.8 West southwest of Lisbon, Portugal
    36.0N 15W
    15 km deep
    March 21, 2017 CARIBE WAVE 17
    A Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Tsunami Warning Exercise
    7.9 Costa Rica (Caribbean Sea)
    9.37N 82.54W
    19 km deep
    8.2 Cuba (Caribbean Sea)
    19.625N 76.35W
    20 km deep
    8.5 Northern Antilles (Atlantic Ocean)
    16.96N 60.69W
    10 km deep
    February 15-17, 2017 Pacific Wave 2017
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Enhanced Products Exercise
    9.0 Philippines (Manila trench, South China Sea)
    15.44N 119.36E
    35 km deep
    9.0 Solomon Islands (New Britain-San Cristobal trench)
    7.3S 156.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Vanuatu (New Hebrides trench)
    14.3S 166.2E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Tonga (Tonga trench)
    23.6S 175.5W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Central Chile (Peru-Chile trench)
    32.3 71.9W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Ecuador (Colombia-Ecuador trench)
    1.0N 81.5W
    20 km deep
    June 7, 2016 Cascadia Rising 2016 9.0 West of Portland, Oregon
    45.7N 125.1W
    20 km deep
    March 17, 2016 CARIBE WAVE 16
    A Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.4 Venezuela (Caribbean Sea)
    10.8N 66.0W
    15 km deep
    8.7 Northern Hispaniola
    20.2N 71.7W
    20 km deep
    March 16, 2016 LANTEX 16
    A Western Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    6.8 (landslide) East of Boston, Massachusetts
    42.7N 63.2W
    5 km deep
    February 15, 2016 Pacific Wave 2016
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Enhanced Products Exercise
    9.0 Kamchatka (Kuril-Kamchatka trench)
    52.5N 159.5E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Off Northern Japan (Japan trench)
    38.1N 142.9E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-Shoto trench)
    28.0N 129.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Philippines (Manila trench, South China Sea)
    17.0N 119.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Philippines (Philippines trench, Pacific)
    9.5N 126.6E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Solomon Islands (New Britain-San Cristobal trench)
    7.3S 156.0E
    20 km deep
    March 25, 2015 PACIFEX 15
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.6 East of the Kamchatka peninsula
    53.5N 162.0E
    30 km deep
    March 25, 2015 CARIBE WAVE 15
    A Caribbean Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.5 North of Panama (Caribbean Sea)
    10.3N 78.8W
    15 km deep
    March 25, 2015 LANTEX 15
    A Western Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    6.8 (landslide) East of Port Canaveral, Florida
    28.8N 77.0W
    5 km deep
    February 2-6, 2015 Pacific Wave 2015
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Enhanced Products Exercise
    9.0 Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-Shoto trench)
    28.0N 129.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Tonga (Tonga trench)
    23.6S 175.5W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Ecuador (Colombia-Ecuador trench)
    1.0N 81.5W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Off Northern Japan (Japan trench)
    38.1N 142.9E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Philippines (Manila trench, South China Sea)
    17.0N 119.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Peru (Peru-Chile trench)
    11.4S 78.7W
    20 km deep
    March 27, 2014 PACIFEX 14
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.1 South of Alaska - Between Kodiak Island and the Shumagin Islands (USGS SAFRR tsunami scenario)
    55.2N 156.7W
    18.5 km deep
    March 26, 2014 CARIBE WAVE 14
    A Caribbean and Northwestern Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.5 West of Portugal (1755 event)
    36.04N 10.75W
    5 km deep
    March 26, 2014 LANTEX 14
    A Gulf of Mexico Tsunami Warning Exercise
    6.6 (landslide) Southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana (Mississippi Canyon)
    27.49N 91.29W
    5 km deep
    May 1, 2013 Pacific Wave 2013
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Enhanced Products Exercise
    9.0 Off northern Japan
    (Japan trench)
    38.1N 142.9E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Off western Philippines
    (Manila trench, South China Sea)
    17.0N 119.0E
    20 km deep
    9.1 Off northern Chile
    (Peru-Chile trench)
    22.5S 70.7W
    20 km deep
    March 27, 2013 PACIFEX 13
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.0 Near Guam (Mariana trench)
    20.2N, 146.8E
    5 km deep
    March 20, 2013 CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 13
    A Caribbean Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.5 North of Oranjestad, Aruba
    13.35N 69.95W
    10 km deep
    March 28, 2012 PACIFEX 12
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.2 East of Kodiak City, Alaska (1964 event)
    58.0N 150.5W
    8 km deep
    March 28, 2012 LANTEX 12
    An Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico Tsunami Warning Exercise
    6.7 (landslide) Northwest of Key West, Florida
    25.6N, 84.6W
    10 km deep
    7.7 (landslide) Southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    32.0N, 78.0W
    10 km
    November 9-10, 2011 Pacific Wave 11
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Communication Exercise
    9.0 Kamchatka (Kuril-Kamchatka trench)
    52.5N 159.5E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-Shoto trench)
    28.0N 129.0E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Philippines (Manila trench)
    16.2N 119.3E
    20
    9.0 Philippines (Philippines trench, Pacific)
    9.5N 126.6E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Vanuatu (New Hebrides trench)
    14.3S 166.2E
    20 km deep
    9.0 Tonga (Tonga trench)
    23.6S 175.5W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Central Chile (Peru-Chile trench)
    32.3 71.9W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Ecuador (Colombia-Ecuador trench)
    1.0 N 81.5 W
    20 km deep
    9.0 Central America (Middle America trench)
    11.5N 87.5W
    20 km deep
    June 23, 2011 Exercise SoCal 2011
    A Southern California Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.2 Southeast of Chignik, Alaska
    54.5N and 155.8W
    40 km deep
    March 23, 2011 PACIFEX 11
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.0 West of Eugene, Oregon
    44.2N and 125.0W
    2 km deep
    March 23, 2011 CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 11
    A Caribbean Tsunami Warning Exercise
    7.6/7.6 (double quake) Virgin Islands Trough
    (1867 event)
    18.21N, 65.26W/18.36N, 64.73W
    7 km deep
    March 24, 2010 PACIFEX 10
    A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise
    9.0 Southeast of Chignik, Alaska
    55.0N and 157.0W
    5 km deep
    March 24, 2010 LANTEX 10
    An Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    7.5 (landslide) Southeast of Boston
    40.0N 70.0W
    7 km deep
    April 2, 2009 LANTEX 09
    A Northwest-Atlantic Tsunami Warning Exercise
    8.6 North of Puerto Rico
    19.0N and 65.0W
    5 km deep
    October 21-23, 2008 Pacific Wave 08
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Communication Exercise
    9.2 Off northeast coast of Japan
    40N 143E
    May 16-17, 2006 Pacific Wave 06
    A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Communication Exercise
    9.2 Off coast of Central Chile
    30S 72W
    8.8 North of the Philippines
    20N 120E



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