Earthquake Early Warning

Earthquakes are natural phenomena, most commonly resulting from the sudden release of accumulated stress along faults within the Earth’s crust. While earthquakes themselves are natural geological processes, their consequences may become disastrous when strong ground shaking results in significant damage, disruption, injury, or loss of life. Although the hazards associated with earthquakes can be assessed and their impacts mitigated, earthquakes cannot be prevented, and current scientific methods cannot reliably predict their precise time, location, and magnitude.

Methodology & Technology

• How do EEW solutions work?

When we utilise state-of-the-art scientific methodologies, as done in GeoSIG’s Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) solution, it is possible to estimate the location and magnitude after an earthquake emerges by detecting it using seismic stations located as close as possible to potential earthquake sources, seismic faults. Thus, warnings about approaching seismic waves can be sent ideally before the shaking arrives to a defined location. How much advance warning is provided depends on a number of factors such as magnitude of the earthquake, proximity of seismic stations to the epicentre, the density and distribution of the seismic stations and wave propagation characteristics of the region, as well as the position of the location that shall be warned.

The goal of Earthquake Early Warning is to provide warning ahead of approaching seismic waves to enable people to take cover and take actions to prevent injury or damage. Depending on the warning system employed, alerts might come in the form of a public broadcast, public warning sirens, or even community-wide text alerts and messages on smart devices.

Based on fast and reliable communication channels, these warnings can provide the crucial seconds to take measures which may help reduce catastrophic impacts of seismic events.

• How do RR solutions aid emergency management and emergency response?

After an earthquake, GeoSIG’s Rapid Response (RR) solution provides analytic and thematic information on the aftermath of the earthquake in terms of ShakeMaps consisting of observed ground motion parameters as well as estimated damage distribution. This information helps to pinpoint specific locations on a map that are likely to require immediate emergency response or which areas have suffered the most damage. 

 

This short time lapse video demonstrates the concept and operation of Earthquake Early Warning systems available through GeoSIG.
 

 

This short time lapse video demonstrates the concept and operation of earthquake rapid response systems available through GeoSIG.
 

Our proprietary software package, GeoRAPTOR, is the control centre of the GeoSIG Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system.
 

Our GMS series recorders include our proprietary implementation of the JMA B-Δ Method for Earthquake Early Warning running in the realtime, observable through their web interface Earthquake Early Warning Panel, feeding continuous data to the GeoRAPTOR.

 

With technological and scientific advances, we are able to better prepare for pending disasters and mitigate their damage. GeoSIG is proud to instrument Earthquake Early Warning Networks and Rapid Response solutions around the world.