California releases a cellphone app linked to the state's new earthquake alert system...

[JohnRBaker]

I've already installed the app on my iPhone. If I get any 'warnings', I'll let you all know if it worked as expected:

California To Unveil Earthquake Alert System Thursday

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/16/770816723/california-to-unveil-earthquake-alert-system-thursday

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[JAE]

I've always been using this one:

https://www.quakefeed.com/

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, I've been using Quakefeed for years as well. However, it ONLY reports events after the fact. This new app is linked to a statewide system which is purported to being able to provide some sort of 'warning' of pending seismic events, at least that's how they're hoping that the system will work. As I said, we'll see, and if anything happens and I get a 'warning' before an actual event, I'll let everyone know.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[JAE]

That would be interesting. I hope they aren't watching herds of cows suddenly moving to the corner of the fencing as the EQ tipoff!

 

[JohnRBaker]

I hope they aren't watching herds of cows suddenly moving to the corner of the fencing as the EQ tipoff!

Hey, if it works ;-)

All kidding aside, from the original article:

The system uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and will notify Californians so that they can "Drop, cover and hold on" in advance of an earthquake,"...


John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[handleman]

Hopefully not brought to you by the same folks who created this helpful system:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Hawaii_false_missile_alert

 

[VEBill]

Computers and the speed of light are much faster than the speed of propagation of seismic waves.

I've read that Japan has had this early warning for years, and their Bullet Trains can be fully stopped before the quake actually arrives.

Obviously there's a minimum radius around the epicenter that wouldn't get any warning time.

 

[itsmoked]

Notice they made a point of releasing it on the anniversary of the Loma Prieta Quake?
Could've used it for this week's two quakes. :/

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

Earlier this year, when there was that significant series of quakes near Ridgecrest, CA, during one of the live news reports from Cal Tech, they experienced a 5.0 aftershock as seen on their seismographs. Anyway, we live about 130 miles from Ridgecrest and while we were watching the news cast they showed how the ground wave was propagating outward from the epicenter of the aftershock, and right on schedule, as we watched the wave pass our city on the TV screen we felt it shake the house. Now, being 130 miles away, even a 5.0 was not going to do any damage but it did show how indeed, as VEIBLL had noted, the seismic wave moves much slower than the speed-of-light, which is closer to what the data from the seismograph was traveling to Cal Tech and then being broadcast to our TV.

Anyway, it did demonstrate how an alert system could be helpful in providing some sort of 'early warning', even if it were only few seconds. Of course the real value would be to trigger automatic systems, like starting emergency generators at hospitals, isolating power grids, and gas and oil pipelines, stopping and opening the doors of elevators, brings trains and subways to a safe stop, etc. again as VEIBLL mentioned.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without