Latest news with #ShakeAlert
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
How to Enable Google's Earthquake Alerts on Android Phones and Why It Can Save Lives
Earthquakes remain one of the most unpredictable and dangerous natural disasters, occurring around the world every single day. In high-risk zones such as the Delhi-NCR region—where minor tremors are frequent due to the ongoing tectonic activity between the Indian and Eurasian plates—being alerted even seconds before a quake hits can make a life-saving difference. Understanding this urgency, Google has developed a vital safety feature for Android smartphones: the Android Earthquake Alerts System. This built-in system uses your phone's sensors to act as a mini-seismometer, detecting ground movement and working in tandem with data from nearby devices to determine whether an earthquake is occurring. Here's how it works: if your phone picks up unusual motion—suggesting seismic activity—it sends the data and your approximate location to Google's servers. When similar signals are reported from enough devices in the same area, Google confirms an earthquake and immediately issues alerts to nearby users. This real-time system aims to give users a few seconds to act—seconds that could be crucial for safety. The feature is available on all Android devices running version 5.0 or higher, making it accessible to millions of users across the globe. Importantly, the system doesn't require any third-party apps or installations. It's integrated directly into your phone's settings. There are two types of alerts users might receive: · Be Aware Alerts: These are issued for moderate shaking, typically magnitude 4.5 and above. · Take Action Alerts: These are sent in the case of stronger quakes. They override your phone's normal settings—including Do Not Disturb—and trigger loud sounds and urgent notifications to prompt immediate safety measures. In parts of the United States such as California, Oregon, and Washington, Google has further enhanced this feature by integrating it with the ShakeAlert network. This system relies on a network of over 1,600 ground-based seismic sensors to feed accurate data into Android's alert system, enabling even quicker and more reliable warnings. How to Enable Earthquake Alerts on Your Android Device Activating the Earthquake Alerts feature is simple. Follow these steps: 1. Ensure your device is running Android 5.0 or higher. 2. Turn on your phone's location services and make sure you have an active internet connection. 3. Open the Settings app on your phone. 4. Navigate to Safety & Emergency. If it's not visible, go to Location and then tap Advanced. 5. Look for Earthquake Alerts in the menu. 6. If the toggle is off, switch it on. Once activated, you'll receive alerts even when you're not actively using your phone, giving you critical seconds to take cover. Whether it's ducking under a sturdy table, helping others to safety, or simply moving away from windows or heavy objects, these seconds could be the difference between harm and safety. While earthquakes can't be prevented, technology like this helps us be better prepared. Google's Android Earthquake Alerts System is a meaningful example of how everyday devices can contribute to personal and community safety in times of crisis.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Earthquake alert on Android: How to enable on phones and why it matters
Earthquakes strike daily across the globe, often without warning. The Delhi-NCR region is also relatively on red alert, with tremors occurring frequently, sometimes even multiple times a month. While many of these quakes are minor and cause no damage, the northern Indian region is susceptible to both near-field and far-field earthquakes, because the region is located near the boundary where the Indian tectonic plate is colliding with the Eurasian plate. Now we cannot stop natural disasters, but technology can help us stay alert and find a safe place in time. And to alert users about an earthquake, Google has a dedicated notification system for Android phone users,advertisementGoogle has developed the Android Earthquake Alerts System for Android smartphones. For this feature, the company uses users' smartphones as mini-seismometers that detect earthquakes and provide early warnings to users. When combined with data from other devices, it can quickly estimate the location and magnitude of an case a phone detects unusual movement, it sends data, along with its rough location, to Google's servers. When enough devices from the area pick up similar signals, the system confirms an earthquake and pushes alerts to users in affected areas. In regions like California, Oregon and Washington, Google has also partnered with the ShakeAlert network, which uses over 1,600 seismic sensors to detect earthquakes. These sensors feed data into Android's system, which then delivers warnings to nearby Google sends two types of alerts to Android phonesBe Aware Alerts: For lighter shaking (magnitude 4.5+).Take Action Alerts: For stronger shaking. These notifications also break through your phone's settings, do not disturb settings and start loud sounds and urgent alerts so that you can move to safety to enable earthquake alertsTo turn on the Android Earthquake Alerts System on your Android phone, follow these you begin:–Make sure your phone is running Android 5.0 or higher.– Ensure you have an active internet connection and location services enabled.– After that, tap the settings icon on your phone and go to Safety & Emergency.– If you don't see it, open Location instead and tap Advanced.– Here look for Earthquake Alerts in the menu.– If the switch is off, turn it enabled, you will receive alerts even if you're not actively using your phone, giving you precious seconds to act. Even a few seconds of warning can make a huge difference. It gives you time to drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, and protect your loved ones.- Ends
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Smartphones could help detect earthquakes and send early warnings, study finds
Scientists have developed a new system that turns Android smartphones into real-time earthquake detectors, potentially creating a faster way to warn people before a major tremor hits. The system, developed by researchers at Google, the US Geological Survey (USGS) among others, uses data from millions of phones to identify the earliest shaking signals from an earthquake. When a cluster of devices registers the same ground movement, the system flags it and sends alerts to others in nearby areas. The study, published in Science, found the network detected more than 300 earthquakes a month. In areas where alerts were sent, 85 per cent of people who later reported feeling the earthquake said they had received the alert. Of those, 36 per cent received it before the shaking began, 28 per cent during, and 23 per cent after. While the system does not replace traditional seismic sensors, it could offer a scalable, low-cost early warning tool for regions without dense scientific networks, the study says. The authors said it was especially promising for developing countries where smartphones are common but seismometers are rare. In a statement, Google said the system could give people 'a few precious seconds of warning before the shaking starts'. 'Those seconds can be enough time to get off a ladder, move away from dangerous objects and take cover.' The alerts rely on detecting fast-moving P-waves, which precede the more destructive S-waves during an earthquake. If enough phones detect the P-waves, the system sends warnings to users who may be seconds away from feeling shaking. These seconds can be enough to duck for cover, stop surgery or pause critical infrastructure. The Android Earthquake Alerts System, which began rolling out in 2020, now operates in several countries including the United States, Japan, Greece, Turkey and Indonesia. It is built directly into the Android operating system and does not require users to download a separate app. Map shows countries where Android's earthquake alert system is active (light green). Red and yellow mark areas that experienced strong (MMI 5+) and light (MMI 3–4) shaking, respectively. Grey dots show detections without alerts. Alerts in California, Oregon and Washington come from ShakeAlert (dark green). (Google) While the accuracy is not as high as scientific sensors, the researchers found that alerts from smartphones worked best in urban areas with high phone density and reliable data connections. In rural areas, coverage is more sparse and detection slower. The study builds on earlier crowdsourced earthquake initiatives like the MyShake app but benefits from being embedded natively on millions of devices. 'We believe crowdsourced systems will become increasingly important,' the authors wrote. 'By combining traditional sensors with data from personal devices, it is possible to build more resilient, inclusive early warning systems.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scientists issue dire warning that US is unprepared for inevitable natural disaster with devastating impacts — here's what you need to know
Experts are warning that the United States could be dangerously underprepared for the next natural disaster after spending and staffing cuts to critical federal agencies. As CNN reported, a major earthquake is brewing in the Pacific Northwest, and the U.S. is the least prepared it has ever been. It's not a case of if but when it will hit, and the odds increase each year. There are more immediate concerns with hurricane season about to begin, along with a host of other extreme weather events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducts critical climate research and monitors conditions worldwide. The Trump administration is eyeing staffing cuts of up to 20%, per the New York Times, which will severely hamper an already understaffed agency. The United States Geological Survey monitors ShakeAlert, an early warning system for earthquakes, and maintains 24/7 monitoring of volcanic activity in Hawai'i. Spending and staffing cuts are making that crucial work unsustainable in the long run. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency lost 200 employees in February, the proposed budget will slash funding by $644 million, and the agency may be scrapped entirely, per the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Because of planet-heating pollution from dirty energy sources, extreme weather events have increased in frequency and severity. Short-term spending cuts will have major long-term implications. For example, axing FEMA will eliminate decades of expertise and knowledge at a stroke. It will make coordinating a response to disaster much more difficult, and some states and communities will feel that impact all the more. Individual states do not have the capacity to absorb the work currently overseen by FEMA, NOAA, and the USGS. It might seem daunting, but taking practical and straightforward steps can undo some of the damage. First, staying informed about climate issues and backing policymakers who prioritize the environment are crucial. Environmental concerns and funding the agencies that safeguard them need not be partisan issues. Indeed, most Americans support FEMA, and almost all states benefit regularly from the agency's help. Conversations with family and friends about these issues can go a long way toward lasting change. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
How a Nifty Government Tool Knows About Earthquakes Before You Feel Them
Millions of people across Southern California learned about a 5.2-magnitude earthquake that hit San Diego County on Monday not from their windows rattling or their picture frames clattering, but from a noisy alert on their mobile phones seconds before the shaking started. The urgent messages — advising people to 'drop, cover, hold on. Protect yourself' — were created with a tool from the United States Geological Survey known as ShakeAlert. The system detects earthquakes as soon as they start happening and quickly gathers information to determine which areas are likely to experience strong shaking. ShakeAlert operates on the notion that each and every fraction of a second is precious time that people can use to react and avoid injury before shaking from an earthquake occurs. Here's how the system works: Picture a small car six feet underground. The ShakeAlert early warning system monitors for earthquakes across the West Coast with the help of tens of thousands of seismic stations, each the size of a compact car and buried about six feet underground. The stations are equipped with sensors that detect the full spectrum of seismic waves, the vibrations that travel through the Earth and toward the surface after an earthquake, similar to the way ripples radiate across water when a pebble is dropped into a lake. The waves travel at different speeds, and the success of the system is built on this. The fast-moving primary waves, or P-waves, travel at about four miles per second; they are gentler and less likely to cause destruction. The stronger secondary waves, or S-waves, move much more slowly, about two and a half miles per second. They are more likely to cause damage in an earthquake. The goal of ShakeAlert is to capture the P-wave data, process it on the U.S.G.S.'s high-speed computers and make it available to government agencies and private companies like apps that send out alerts before the S-waves hit the surface. 'It's all automated, and it's all happening really fast,' said Robert de Groot, a physical scientist at the agency and a coordinator for ShakeAlert. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
