Excursion C

"Early Warning Systems in the coastal zone of Northern Germany and in the Krümmel nuclear power plant near Hamburg"

Date:
Saturday/Sunday, 12./13.09.1998

Departure:
Saturday at 07:00h from the Hotel Mercure in Potsdam

Accomm:
Hotel Maritim at Hamburg near the main railway station

Arrival:
Sunday at around 19:30h, Hotel Mercure, Potsdam

Tour guide:
Prof. Dr. Peter Bormann, GFZ, Potsdam.

The German North Sea coast and the Hamburg harbour area are exposed to significant storm surge and flood risks. The storm flood of 1962 claimed hundreds of lives, killed thousands of animals and caused tremendous economic losses. After this devastating event, the coastal dike system was strengthened and the Hamburg storm surge warning and refuge system was established in close collaboration between the German Weather Service, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), various civil defence and planning agencies and other organisations.

Although much stronger storm surges have occurred since then, they have neither claimed casualties nor inflicted significant economic losses. The concept and procedures of this operational safety and warning system will be introduced by several oral presentations at the BSH on Saturday morning, followed by a boat cruise through the Hamburg harbour with visits of flood protection facilities in the afternoon.

The Krümmel nuclear power station is one of the most modern German facilities of this type. It employs a sophisticated monitoring and early warning system for the detection of and alarm for any deviation from safe operation and for automatic parameter and process control. The internal control and alarm system of the Krümmel power plant is closely linked with the hierarchical network of operational nuclear safety, including, civil defence, police and the decision making executive of the City and State of Hamburg as well as that of the Federal Republic of Germany. The philosophy, structure, technical components, operation and management of this advanced early warning system for technological hazards are introduced by lectures on Sunday morning and demonstrated during a visit to the facilities at the Krümmel nuclear power plant.

10:30-13:30
Welcome at the BSH with presentations on storm and flood predictions and warnings, their scientific basis and local peculiarities, the alert network of the relevant Hamburg agencies for civil defence, police, army, fire fighting, medical aid etc. and the Hamburg dike protection system.

13:30-14:00
Special lecture: Dr. M. Latif, Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology Hamburg: "Prediction and early warning of the El Niño-Phenomenon".

14:00-15:30
Lunch break.

15:30-17:30
Boat tour through Hamburg harbour with visit of flood protection facilities.

Sunday, Sept. 13

08:30
Departure from Hotel Maritime to the Krümmel nuclear power plant.

09:30-13:00
Check in, security checks, welcome and introduction into plant operation as well as its monitoring and alarm system.

13:00-14:00
Lunch snack in conjunction with a question and answer session.

14:00-17:00
Visit of the main operation, control and early warning facilities of the Krümmel nuclear power plant.

17:00
Departure to Potsdam.

• Excursion A:
  "The 1997 Oder river flood and early warning"
  
  
• Excursion B:
  "Earth observation and data communication facilities of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in and around Berlin"