Google has announced the life-saving Android Earthquake Alerts System for all 50 U.S. states and 6 U.S. territories. This provides early warnings seconds before shaking starts and helps users to be prepared for it accordingly. In places like California, Oregon, and Washington company has partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and the ShakeAlert system to make Android Earthquake Alerts available. The places that do not have the USGS ShakeAlert system use built-in accelerometers on Android phones.
This accelerometer can sense vibrations, which indicate that an earthquake may be happening. The Android Earthquake Alerts System analyzes the crowdsourced data to determine if an earthquake is occurring. As soon as an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 or greater is detected, two types of warning alerts will be sent to your phone:
- “Be Aware” Alert: This alert signals weak or light shaking, giving you a heads-up to prepare for potential stronger shaking.
- “Take Action” Alert: This alert indicates that moderate to extreme shaking is expected, and prompts you to take immediate action to protect yourself.
Google is continuously working on improving this system and has collaborated with renowned seismologists like Dr. Lucy Jones, dedicated academic researchers like Dr. Jeannette Sutton, and disaster response organizations like the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) to inform and improve Android Earthquake Alerts.
