Your mobile phone could soon warn you of earthquakes. How does it work?
Google is launching its Android Earthquake Alerts System in New Zealand and Greece but what information does it draw on, and how useful will it be for an quake-prone country such as ours? Mirjam Guesgen explains.
What does this earthquake alert system do?
Android phones will operate as earthquake detectors and show a warning alert that shaking is about to happen.
How much warning people will get depends on how far you are from where the earthquake originates. If you’re further away you might get 10 seconds or more warning, if you’re only a few kilometres from the source, that warning might only be a second or two.