The first stage in the installation of a tsunami early-warning system has got under way off the coast of Indonesia. After eight months of designing, testing and surveying, the first two early-warning buoys are ready. In a joint project with the Indonesian government, a German research vessel is sailing towards the coastal waters of Sumatra where they will be deployed. Aceh, in the north of Sumatra island, bore the brunt of last December's devastating earthquake and tsunami. The buoys are seven metres (22ft) long from the stem, which sits under the water, to the bright yellow scaffolding which houses the scientific instruments above the surface. They will be connected to pressure sensors placed on the sea bed. If they sense something unusual, the buoys are programmed to beam the information via satellite to a central station back on the Indonesian mainland. It is then the responsibility of the scientists to interpret the data and decide whether to raise the alarm. But this is new technology and, as one of the Indonesian scientists on the team, Ridwan Sjamsuddin, explained, everybody will need time to get used to it.
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