GPS Data Helps Detect Early Signs Of Major Earthquakes

Scientists have figured out how to detect an early warning sign for major earthquakes. In a new press published in the journal Science Advances, scientists reported that GPS data may help early warning systems improve greatly.

The scientists from Univesity of  Oregon went over data since the early 1990s and discovered a defining moment about 10 to 15 seconds into an event which could possibly signal a pending earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or higher.

GPS is used to monitor plenty of land-based faults similar to seismometer detecting the earthquake's smallest first moments.

Diego Melgar, a professor at the University of Oregon, said that thanks to GPS-based information, early warning systems could be enhanced significantly. Scientists discovered that when an earthquake in transitions into a "slip pulse,"  it has mechanical properties signaling magnitude. They also could identify similar trends in Chinese and European databases. On 29th May, the research was published in the journal Science Advances.

The databases have data collected from over 3,000 earthquakes. The telltale signs of displacement acceleration were identified between 10 to 20 seconds of 12 powerful earthquakes occurring from 2003 to 2016.

GPS is being used to monitor plenty of land-based, but it's not as frequently used in real-time hazard monitoring due to its delay.

He added that this delay could be improved by placing sensors on the seafloor to detect the early acceleration behavior. In doing so, the early warning systems' accuracy could be strengthened.