Billions of phones can detect and warn about nearby earthquakes

9 months ago

Google's Android Earthquake Alerts system uses 2.3 billion devices as a global earthquake-detection network.
The system detects earthquakes via accelerometers in Android phones and smartwatches, providing alerts for magnitudes of 4.5 or greater.
It supplements traditional seismometer-based systems, especially in regions lacking early-warning infrastructure.
The network has issued alerts for 1279 seismic events with only three false alarms as of March 2024.
Users receive two types of alerts: urgent 'Take Action' warnings and less intrusive 'Be Aware' notifications.
The system is as accurate as established programs like ShakeAlert in the US and Japan's Meteorological Society.
Alerts are available in 98 countries, focusing on high-risk areas without existing warning solutions.

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