Offshore cabled seismic arrays can provide early warning
systems. The oceans are the planetary flywheel for our global
climate and the underlying boundaries of tectonic plates are the
loci for the formation and destruction of Earth's shallow crust.
In concert, these forces generate life but also are deadly when
they take the form of massive storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
The Sumatra 9.3 magnitude earthquake and follow-on tsunami that
killed 300,000 people, and the still lingering devastation of
Katrina, serve as vivid reminders to the catastrophic loss of
life and property resulting from such events. To understand,
respond to, and best mitigate these events require long-term
observations, sensor arrays in the areas of interest, and real-
time communication for rapid-response capabilities. Within the
Pacific Northwest the past few decades have witnessed the
impacts of significant storms and moderate earthquakes. For
example the 2001 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake resulted in
over $2 billion in damages,