WARNING: EARTHQUAKE!Imagine how many lives we could save if we were given an earthquake warning. Res

WARNING: EARTHQUAKE!Imagine how many lives we could save if we were given an earthquake warning. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, while working alongside government scientists in California, were able to successfully predict the timing of an earthquake. When the earthquake struck, the scientists were given a 30 second warning of the earthquake’s approach before its vibrations were felt at their location. The 4.7 magnitude earthquake was generated along the San Jacinto fault in southern California on March 11, 2013. Its epicenter was in the desert town of Anza, which is 35 miles south of Palm Springs. The research team associated with the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) study, as part of the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), installed hundreds of earthquake sensors into the ground at the site of the epicenter more than a year ago. These sensors sent data about the earthquake back to the team before the vibrations were felt in their area, and have recorded data from other earthquakes; however, the other events that have occurred were too far away from the area to be felt. This earthquake was different. Its location was under solid granite, which helped the waves travel far and wide. Vibrations were felt as far as Arizona, central California, and Mexico. As a result, the researchers were able to obtain a more accurate idea of the vibrations’ epicenter, and could predict when it would hit their area. The researchers used the energy from P-waves, which are the first types of vibrations to come from an earthquake (and rarely cause significant damage) to make the initial prediction about the earthquake’s location. They then were able to calculate the precise time that a slower S-wave was to arrive. This is important because this type of wave causes more significant damage and results in violent shaking. The farther away an epicenter is, the longer the lag time between the P- and S-waves. If an area is close to an epicenter, it may not be able to receive a warning due to the lack of time between the waves.The system is not perfect in that it initially recorded the earthquake as having a 5.2 magnitude. However, the purpose of the system is more about initiating a warning system for residents that an earthquake has happened and will affect them. Potentially, an email blast or text message-based warning system can be created from this design.Japan has instituted an earthquake warning system, which alerted its citizens regarding the 9.0 magnitude earthquake of March 2011. This gave them valuable seconds to take cover. There are thousands of sensors set up around the country, which are linked to a text message-based warning system. Mexico City also has an earthquake warning system in place due to sensors placed along the coast, which can give up to a minute of warning time due to their location’s considerable distance from earthquake-prone areas at the plate boundary.-Jeanne K.Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey/photo by Walter D. Mooney, PhD. The photo shows the devastation that resulted from the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Concepcion, Chile on February 27, 2010.References:http://www.cisn.org/eew/http://www.eew.caltech.edu/infrastructure/http://www.cisn.org/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-quake-early-warnings-20130314,0,3926471.storyhttp://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/ci/15296281/us/index.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2059780,00.htmlhttp://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/earlywarning/background.php -- source link
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