Understanding the Data

The data recorded by the DART systems is a unique and important dataset for tsunami monitoring and research.

Data from DART sensors have two monitoring modes and are sampled every 15 seconds. During normal monitoring, when the BPR hasn’t detected a tsunami wave, a packet of data is sent from sea to land every six hours. This data packet consists of a series of observations of water-height at 15-minute intervals. When a tsunami wave travels over the BPR, the change in pressure is detected and the affected DART enters ‘event mode’ and sends data packets for up to the next three hours containing 15 second sampled data. DARTs can also be triggered manually by the National Geohazards Monitoring Centre (NGMC) / Te Puna Mōrearea i te Rū.

The sampling rates are represented on the graph with different coloured lines and are referred to in the legend. The legend is shown above in the time series graph in the following format: “Monitoring - 15m” indicating when sea conditions are normal and “Event Mode - 15s" indicating when a sensor has been triggered. To see the continuous BPR data which is collected following a maintenance voyage please use the Tilde Data Discovery Tool.

* A DART station is treated as being not currently operational if it has not transmitted data in the last 5 days. In the majority of cases the BPR is still recording data and this will be available following the maintenance voyage. All water height data that has been received from the network is available here. If you'd like more information as to why these sites are marked as non-operational please contact info@geonet.org.nz.

Helpful Links

Explore & Download More Data - Tilde Data Discovery Tool

If you want to download data or explore more DART or other data types, try our Data Discovery Tool.

GNS Science DART Dataset Catalogue

For DART Network and Dataset Metadata information and DOIs for citations.

DART Network Data Tutorials

Data tutorials written in python demonstrating how to access and use raw and detided DART data through Tilde.

DART Automatic Trigger Catalogue

A catalogue of automatic triggers detected by the DART Network.

NEMA Tsunami monitoring and detection network

NEMA webpage on the tsunami monitoring and detection network.

GNS Science DART Research Project

More DART content is also available on the GNS Science DART Research Project webpage.