Geophysicist Paul Whitmore   West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

Describe what you do in a typical day.

I evaluate earthquakes, computer software development, write reports, web site maintenance, and other scientific technique development projects.

What led you to your present career?

An interest in physical sciences and a desire to stay in Alaska led me to this career.

What school subjects were most important to you in your present career?

Math, physics, geology and writing are important.

When did you see relevance of those school subjects to your future?

I saw the importance when I decided to study the physical sciences in college.

	A series of small earthquakes from the Solomon Islands as they appear on the paper record.
	Computer screen providing information about the Solomon Islands earthquakes to the geophysicists.

What skills are needed on your job?

You need logic, problem-solving, and quick thinking.

What are some pros and cons of your job that you think kids should know when considering your career?

Pros: Interesting work, involved with public safety.

Cons: Difficult to find work in the field.

What could young people do to prepare themselves for this career?

They could get a good background in math, computer science and physics.

The following is taken from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center's web site:

What hours/days do geophysicists work?

These people are at the center during normal week-day work hours. After normal work hours and on weekends and holidays, two duty personnel are on paid standby duty and must respond to the center within five minutes of an alarm. That means they must live or be within five minutes of the center at all times while on standby! Since 1981, 10 regional tsunami warnings have been issued by the WC/ATWC. Of these warnings, only two out of the ten occurred during the work day. All others occurred after normal work hours when the personnel were in standby duty status.

What do the geophysicists do while they wait for an earthquake to happen?

The WC/ATWC staff are always working on the prediction of the size of tsunamis outside the tsunami generating area. They are using models and information about past earthquakes and resulting tsunamis to predict for approximately 80 sites along the western North American coast, and approximately 20 sites in Hawaii.

The geophysicists at the WC/ATWC are trying to design a new system that will allow a person at a computer to get information about tides quickly without waiting for someone else to relay information from a different site.

The WC/ATWC is implementing a program known as TsunamiReady which provides advice and training sessions to coastal citizens and emergency managers to aid in pre-event planning. The aim of this program is to educate the public to help themselves if they are caught in the middle of a violent earthquake and/or tsunami, and to be aware of safety procedures, safe areas, and the limitations of the Tsunami Warning System.