The quake in Chile prompted immediate fears of a tsunami throughout the Pacific basin.

As it turned out the only major damage was suffered along the Chilean coast and on nearby islands.

Dr. Graham Kent, who heads the University of Nevada Seismology Lab, says he knew long before the tsunami reached Hawaii or California the waves elsewhere would be small. That's because he could access readings from a network of deep ocean monitoring stations on buoys throughout the Pacific.

This network was expanded exponentially after the destructive tsunami in Indonesia 6 years ago and this weekend, Kent says it worked perfectly.

"By the time that wave his the first buoy, you've reduced you r error immensely," says Kent. "You know whether it's going to be a big one like in 2004 or something on a smaller scale as we saw this weekend."

What, you may be asking, has any of this to do with us living far from the nearest beach.

A lot, says Kent, who says a similar network of seismographic monitoring station on land with could save lives when the big one hits here. One of the functions of seismological monitors he says is to generate maps that guide the first responders to where the damage should be greatest.

The UNR seismology lab operates a network of monitoring stations around the state, but the system is based on aging analog technology. Newer digital technology...already in use in an extensive network next door in California, he says would be more accurate, more reliable when needed most.

"We have one chance to get it right," he says.

Building such a system he says would cost a few million dollars but Kent says the network could serve other purposes, monitoring wildfires with remote cameras, perhaps serving geothermal sites.

California has obviously thought it was a good investment. He says we should too.