US works to implement earthquake early warning system
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029547
NPR : Similar to a system already in place in Japan, ShakeAlert is being developed by the US Geological Survey and a coalition of university partners to provide early warning of seismic events for the earthquake-prone US West Coast. When an earthquake occurs, it releases energy in the form of seismic waves. The fastest, called P waves, cause little damage but can be used to estimate the location and magnitude of the quake. The goal is to then send out a warning to people in the affected area before the more damaging waves, called S waves, arrive. Because the entire event takes place in just seconds, ShakeAlert’s developers have been working to add more sensors and develop faster computers in order to decrease the processing time and get the alerts out as quickly as possible.