Technical features of a low-cost Earthquake Alert System

Conference · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5720379

Harben, P

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.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5720379
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-108184; CONF-9110122--23; ON: DE92009120
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440800* -- Miscellaneous Instrumentation-- (1990-)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
ACCELEROMETERS
ACOUSTIC MONITORING
ALARM SYSTEMS
ALGORITHMS
COMMUNICATIONS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COST ESTIMATION
DATA PROCESSING
DATA TRANSMISSION
DETECTION
EARTHQUAKES
EQUIPMENT
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
MOTION DETECTION SYSTEMS
PLANNING
PROCESSING
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC EVENTS
SEISMIC P WAVES
SEISMIC S WAVES
SEISMIC WAVES