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Pasadena, California — Today, the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners announced a new capability to quickly characterize large earthquakes, helping the public understand potentially damaging quakes. In addition to more than 1,500 seismic sensors that detect ground shaking, the ShakeAlert system now leverages sensors that detect ground movement via satellite.
“While earthquakes are rare, those above magnitude 7 have the greatest impact on human life and infrastructure,” said Robert de Groot of the USGS Earthquake Early Warning Operations Team. “Future large offshore earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest could be similar to the 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in 2011, highlighting the importance of incorporating satellite data streams into earthquake early warning systems.”
The newly added ShakeAlert feature uses data from real-time Global Navigation Satellite System sensors to more quickly and accurately determine the magnitude and shaking area of large earthquakes, allowing people to be notified more quickly to take protective measures such as drop, cover and hold on. GNSS data, including the well-known US Global Positioning System, is now used to detect earthquakes in addition to seismic data. Seismic sensors measure the speed at which the ground shakes, while GNSS sensors measure how far the ground moves up, down or sideways during an earthquake.
The ShakeAlert system, which is currently in use in California, Oregon and Washington, protects people and infrastructure by sending alerts to cell phones and triggering automated actions such as slowing trains to prevent derailments, opening fire station doors to prevent them from getting stuck and closing valves to protect water supplies.
The ShakeAlert GNSS integration and ongoing operations are a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation-funded EarthScope Consortium, and university partners, with key contributions from the University of Washington, Central Washington University, University of California, Berkeley, and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with state agencies and universities as a public safety tool for more than 50 million residents and visitors in California, Oregon and Washington. When the ShakeAlert earthquake sensors are completed by the end of 2025, there will be a network of more than 2,000 ShakeAlert stations ready to protect residents and visitors in California, Oregon and Washington.
For more information on how this new feature works, Watch this video.
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