Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System
Abstract
The concept and features of an Earthquake Alert System (EAS) involving a distributed network of strong motion sensors is discussed. The EAS analyzes real-time data telemetered to a central facility and issues an areawide warning of a large earthquake in advance of the spreading elastic wave energy. A low-cost solution to high-cost estimates for installation and maintenance of a dedicated EAS is presented that makes use of existing microseismic stations. Using the San Francisco Bay area as an example, we show that existing US Geological Survey microseismic monitoring stations are of sufficient density to form the elements of a prototype EAS. By installing strong motion instrumentation and a specially developed switching device, strong ground motion can be telemetered in real-time to the central microseismic station on the existing communication channels. When a large earthquake occurs, a dedicated real-time central processing unit at the central microseismic station digitizes and analyses the incoming data and issues a warning containing location and magnitude estimations. A 50-station EAS of this type in the San Francisco Bay area should cost under $70,000 to install and less than $5000 annually to maintain.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 10130210
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-108184; CONF-9110122-23
ON: DE92009120
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Natural phenomena hazards mitigation conference,St. Louis, MO (United States),15-18 Oct 1991; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; EARTHQUAKES; MOTION DETECTION SYSTEMS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; ACOUSTIC MONITORING; EQUIPMENT; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; SEISMIC P WAVES; SEISMIC S WAVES; ACCELEROMETERS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; REAL TIME SYSTEMS; SEISMIC DETECTION; ALGORITHMS; DATA PROCESSING; PLANNING; COST ESTIMATION; DATA TRANSMISSION; 440800; MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENTATION
Citation Formats
Harben, P. Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System. United States: N. p., 1991.
Web.
Harben, P. Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System. United States.
Harben, P. Thu .
"Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System". United States.
@article{osti_10130210,
title = {Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System},
author = {Harben, P},
abstractNote = {The concept and features of an Earthquake Alert System (EAS) involving a distributed network of strong motion sensors is discussed. The EAS analyzes real-time data telemetered to a central facility and issues an areawide warning of a large earthquake in advance of the spreading elastic wave energy. A low-cost solution to high-cost estimates for installation and maintenance of a dedicated EAS is presented that makes use of existing microseismic stations. Using the San Francisco Bay area as an example, we show that existing US Geological Survey microseismic monitoring stations are of sufficient density to form the elements of a prototype EAS. By installing strong motion instrumentation and a specially developed switching device, strong ground motion can be telemetered in real-time to the central microseismic station on the existing communication channels. When a large earthquake occurs, a dedicated real-time central processing unit at the central microseismic station digitizes and analyses the incoming data and issues a warning containing location and magnitude estimations. A 50-station EAS of this type in the San Francisco Bay area should cost under $70,000 to install and less than $5000 annually to maintain.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10130210},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1991},
month = {8}
}