Earthquake Warning System Rolling Out in Oregon, Washington
February 18, 2021
The ShakeAlert system, which warns of significant quakes, has been enabled in California since October 2019.
The system uses a network of sensors that detect the start of an earthquake and calculates magnitude, location and the expected amount of shaking. It sends the information in real time to distributors that send out alerts to cellphones and the internet.
The information moves so quickly that people may have valuable seconds to protect themselves before shaking arrives, trains can be slowed or industrial processes stopped.
The USGS said that as of Jan. 31, the West Coast network was 70% complete, with 1,132 out of 1,675 seismic stations installed.