Google to use Android phones for largest earthquake detection network

Team Udayavani, Aug 13, 2020, 5:12 PM IST

Google has created the “world’s largest earthquake detection network” by allowing all Android phones to function as miniature seismometers.

According to The Verge, Google is partnering with the United States Geological Survey and the California Office of Emergency Services to send the agencies’ earthquake alerts to Android users in that state.

Those alerts are generated by the already-existing ShakeAlert system, which uses data generated by traditional seismometers.

As public infrastructure for detection of an earthquake and its alert system would be very expensive, Google is allowing people to provide with timely updates using Android

Signals from multiple phones will be used to detect an earthquake. Users will be able to see relevant results for their areas in Google Search when they search “earthquake” or “earthquake near me”.