How can your phone detect earthquakes?

Arab Weather - Nearly fifty years after the first mobile phone call, the technology we carry in our pockets every day can contribute to creating the world's largest earthquake detection system.

On October 25, 2022, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay Area of California. Although the tremor was not severe, residents of the area quickly reported what they felt to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Many people received alerts on their phones before the shaking began. In a similar event, residents of Southern California received 30 seconds of warning before a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck, with its epicenter just south of Bakersfield.

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Earthquake early warning system

Google is working with the US Geological Survey and universities in California to develop an early warning system that would allow users to receive warnings seconds before an earthquake hits. Those few seconds could be enough time to take cover, or to slow trains and prevent cars from entering bridges or tunnels, potentially saving lives.

The system relies on data from two sources: a network of 700 seismometers across California that feed into ShakeAlert. The second is a global network of Android smartphones. Most of these phones have sensitive sensors that can detect the initial waves of earthquakes and automatically send the data to the alert system.

By collecting data from thousands of phones, the system can determine if and where an earthquake is happening, and then send warnings to affected areas. Because radio signals travel faster than seismic waves, warnings arrive before the shaking starts.

This technology also contributes to monitoring earthquakes in areas where there are no large-scale networks of seismometers, allowing warnings to be provided even in the most remote and poorest areas of the world.

The earthquake alert system is now available in more than 90 countries and runs on more than three billion Android devices worldwide. However, the system faces some limitations, especially in remote and coastal areas, where tsunami risks can arise.

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