Iridium is providing satellite data links for a new system of 31 ocean buoys being deployed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The second-generation Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (Dart 2) system is being established by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s(NOAA) National Data Center in order to detect and monitor tsunami waves in the open ocean in an effort to warn costal residents in time for proper evacuation.

This tsunami warning system is an example of how satellite-enabled technology can provide vital public safety communications during times of crisis, Iridium said. Such a robust system was not in place in December 2004 when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated Southeast Asia.

Dart 2 consists of pressure-sensitive tsunameters placed on the sea floor and buoys floating on the ocean surface. The buoys are equipped with an acoustic modem that receives data from the tsunameter sensors and a small data modem to transmit the pressure measurements. The Iridium constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit satellites transmits the pressure measurements to NOAA warning centers. Using this data, scientists can issue appropriate warnings to areas that may be in the path of a tidal wave.

The Iridium data link supports two-way data communications, permitting technicians at the warning centers to request tsunameter data from any specific buoy. For instance, the warning center may ask one or more buoys to transmit updates at a faster rate to improve real-time monitoring of a special area of interest.

Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) is conducting testing and field service in the Pacific Ocean on the $37.5 million DART 2 system. SAIC is a research and engineering company that provides information technology, systems integration and other services to commercial and government customers. NAL Research, an Iridium value- added manufacturer, is supplying the ruggedized Iridium data modems for the buoys.