SPC Geoscience Division

Observations Network Upgrade Project

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 10:27 Molly Powers-Tora
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The Observations Network Upgrade Project (ONUP) was developed in collaboration with Australian Aid and Geoscience Australia (GA) and is currently refurbishing and upgrading the measurement and communication technology at 12 South Pacific sea level stations.

The objective of ONUP is to maintain the existing capacity to measure, record and transmit high quality sea level data for a further 10 to 15 years. From 2010-2012, the project successfully upgraded sea level stations in Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati. In 2013, stations in Tuvalu and Nauru will be upgraded and the ONUP project completed.

In addition, the ONUP team commissioned a ‘test station’ at the Bureau of Meteorology’s Training Centre, allowing Bureau staff to fully field-test the operation of electronic systems and data communications equipment destined for use in the upgrade.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 July 2013 14:16  

Newsflash

Nukualofa, Friday 16 March 2012: How exactly will climate change impact the lives of people living on small islands and what can be done to adapt to those impacts? On Lifuka Island in Tonga’s Ha’apai group, a project to find answers to this question is underway. The answer could help people around the Pacific and the world prepare  for, and adapt to, climate change.

The project is part of the Pacific Adaptation Strategy Assistance Program (PASAP) and aims to assess the vulnerability and adaptation to sea level rise in Lifuka. It is being run by the Government of Tonga with the assistance of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT).

Fuka Kitekei’aho, National Coordinator for PASAP, said that Lifuka was chosen because it had already experienced sea level rise as a result of an earthquake in May 2006.

“The earthquake measured approximately 7.9 on the Richter scale and resulted in subsidence of 23 cm of the western side of Lifuka Island,” Mr Kitekei’aho said. “In the past four years, the island has experienced significant coastal erosion over a three kilometre section of the coastline, including where the harbour, homes, and hospital are located.”