Communications of the ACM
Early Quake Alerts
Simulation software developed at the University of Delaware could help scientists better coordinate earthquake data captured by thousands of tiny seismic sensors.
Photo courtesy of Ambre Alexander
University of Delaware researchers, in collaboration with Stanford University and the U.S. Geological Survey, are developing a network of seismic sensors that could provide communities with an early earthquake detection and warning system. The sensors are part of a new phase of the Quake-Catcher Network (QCN), a project aimed at gathering data to help scientists understand the earthquake process.
The Delaware researchers, led by professor Michela Taufer, developed EmBOINC, simulation software that the researchers use to determine the necessary architectural changes needed to increase the speed and robustness of the network. They currently are working to overcome current limitations to improve the software's data processing capabilities, which would enable the system to accommodate as many as 10,000 sensors.
The sensors are mounted on the floor of volunteer host locations and relay seismic data back to the researchers, who analyze the data to develop an advanced warning system. "The hope is that our EmBOINC simulation modeling will improve QCN's earthquake detection algorithms, enhance the seismic sensor capabilities, and lead to improvements that will enable the real network to react faster in a true emergency," Taufer says.
From UDaily (DE)
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