Scary thing about earthquakes is that they can come at any given moment. Earthquake warnings have been useful but having an earthquake warning system on our smartphones may be the next step in ensuring our safety.
On Aug 11, Google added an earthquake alert system in California, saying that it is working to turn Android-powered smartphones as tremor detectors.
Android smartphone users will receive warnings triggered by a “ShakeAlert” earthquake early-warning system on implemented on the West Coast by the US Geological Survey and partners.
According to the system website, ShakeAlert uses signals from hundreds of seismometers across the state to trigger warning messages that “an earthquake has started and shaking is imminent.”
“We saw an opportunity to use Android to provide people with timely, helpful earthquake information when they search, as well as a few seconds warning to get themselves and their loved ones to safety if needed,” said principal software engineer Marc Stogaitis in a blog post.
According to Stogaitis, smartphones are typically equipped with tiny accelerometers which can sense movement and catch shaking from earthquakes. This means your Android phone can be a mini seismometer, joining millions of other Android phones out there to form the world’s largest earthquake detection network.
Android phones that detect potential earthquake activity can automatically send a signal to a data centre, where computers quickly interpret motion and location data in aggregate to determine whether a quake is happening, according to Google.
Earthquake alerts begin in California because the state has an extensive network of seismometers in place. With the establishment of the phone-based detection network, the alerts are expected to spread to other locations during the coming year.
