Oct 30 2010
The US earthquake monitoring agency is in search of 35 participants from Southern California to introduce an earthquake sensing device in their home. The compact sensor will register vibrant terrain movements and can transmit the information to the US Geological Survey through the Internet. The information thus obtained will help in providing immediate response succeeding an earthquake.
The researchers at USGS stated that the prevailing terrain motion sensing grids in California has been extended to vast areas for precisely mapping the ground vibrations. The USGS initialized a NetQuakes Program to buy these condensed earthquake sensing devices and integrate them permanently in areas opted by the citizens across Southern California. Such identical projects have already been implemented in the Northwest Pacific and in San Francisco.
The suitable areas where the sensors have to be incorporated involve active faults, homes near thickly populated areas and other major infrastructures and will be installed in Northern San Diego County, Southern Orange County and in I-15 corridor.
To install a NetQuakes sensor, the candidates should possess a calm, remote area in a single-to-double story infrastructure with concrete slabs linked to the ground where the monitoring system can be connected. An electrical outlet as well as an Internet connection should be supplied. If installed properly, the terrain vibrations registered by the sensing device can be observed from the USGS website immediately after any powerful motions.
The USGS handles the Advanced National Seismic System for identifying earthquakes throughout the nation. The USGS, in association with the California Institute of Technology, works on a sequence of over 300 earthquake-detecting sensors forming the Southern California Seismic grid for advancing the monitoring strategies and lowering the losses. The Netquakes program was partially supported by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
Source: http://www.usgs.gov