October 18, 2019: With the help of MyShake app, all Californians will be able to receive warnings before the major earthquakes.
Ground motion sensors from across the state will be used to detect earthquakes and the notifications will be sent out to give Californians a second to tens of seconds earlier to take precautions.
The MyShake app is now available for download to iOS and Android devices which allows earthquake warning messages to reach Californians statewide.
Earthquake early warning works because communications networks can receive and send messages faster than seismic waves travel.
Earthquake early warning system can warn of quakes as much as a few minutes before they strike. Countries with such systems include Mexico, Japan, and the United States, where the most advanced system is California's state-run ShakeAlert.
Earthquake early warning system can warn of quakes as much as a few minutes before they strike. Countries with such systems include Mexico, Japan, and the United States, where the most advanced system is California's state-run ShakeAlert.
Great ShakeOut 2019
The annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill took place on Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m. across the United States.
The Great ShakeOut is the largest earthquake drill worldwide and people need to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold to survive and recover quickly from the next big earthquake, FEMA mentioned in its news release.
Use of smartphone in earthquake early warning system
Smartphones and other personal electronic devices could, in regions where they are in widespread use, function as earthquake early warning systems, a recent research done by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey mentioned.
The research published in the inaugural volume of the new AAAS journal Science Advances, found that the sensors in smartphones and similar devices could be used to build earthquake warning systems.
The researchers found that the smartphone sensors could be used to issue earthquake warnings for earthquakes of approximately magnitude 7 or larger, but not for smaller, yet potentially damaging earthquakes.