A computer can figure out the earthquake's size and location from the P-wave, and send out a warning signal before the damaging S-wave arrives. [Video: Earthquake Early Warning System Demonstration]
The signal arrives a few seconds to a minute before shaking, depending on the distance between the earthquake epicenter and the user's location, said Doug Given, the USGS early earthquake warning project coordinator. The primary users will be emergency personnel, hospitals, nuclear reactors, trains, factories and schools, Jones said. However, the signal will be publicly available, as in Japan, where programmers have created custom signal apps for phones, Hauksson said.
The prototype in place today works best for smaller earthquakes, and needs to be improved so it has fewer false alarms and can perform better during major quakes, such as those expected on the San Andreas Fault, Hauksson said. A recently published study suggests that California could experience a statewide earthquake, with the fault ripping apart for hundreds of miles.
"This is a starting point," Hauksson said.
The early warning system is a partnership between Caltech, the USGS and the University of California, Berkeley.
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1 Comments
Add CommentSuggestions that this early warning system could or would mitigate property damage may be overly optimistic and possibly impossible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's possible to stop a train, possibly move a fire trucks out of stations, but as for others protecting physical property with perhaps only 60 seconds maximum warning time that's a bit of a stretch.
Though this information could tilt public focus from looking for a safe place before the quake happens in trying to preserve property and bring about injury or an early demise in the process. This might been seen as a person rushing to their car that's parked under a multi-storied building (known as a soft story) and find the building coming down on them to save but a car.
It seems more realistic to focus on saving limb and life first and we should be cognizant that given no one knows where future quakes will strike, we don't know if there would be adequate time on a routine basis to just accomplish this one highly important aspect.