The early morning of this Tuesday 27 An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was registered in Guayaquil that surprised several citizens. However, some were already notified of this seconds before they felt it due to a notification that reached them.
It was an earthquake alert that Google sent to phones with the Android operating system. In some cases it arrived at the moment of the earthquake.
The Android earthquake alert system is a free service from the company that warns the user that an earthquake will occur near their location. This has been incorporated in recent months in several countries, including Ecuador, although it was already launched a couple of years ago.
The company explained that in the United States they collaborate with a seismic sensor network, while outside the United States “we use a crowdsourcing strategy to detect earthquakes. All mobile phones contain very small accelerometers that can detect vibrations and speed, signs that an earthquake might be taking place.”
It was added that if a phone detects something that it considers the movement to be an earthquake, it is sent to a server with the approximate location, which in turn combines the information with other phones to find out if an earthquake is taking place.
“This method uses the world’s more than 2 billion Android phones as mini-seismographs to create the world’s largest earthquake detection network; the phones detect the vibration and shaking speed of an earthquake and alert Android users in the affected areas accordingly,” he explained.
The earthquakes that are reported are those greater than magnitude 4.5, however, they warn that the report can give an estimated magnitude as well as a nearby location, so one must be attentive to the information from official organizations of each country.
Within the information provided are recommendations during the telluric movement as well as safety advice.
How to configure earthquake alerts on Android?
- Go to Settings or Settings on your device.
- Select the Location option.
- Choose the Earthquake Alerts option found under Location Services.
- Activate the option.
The steps may change depending on the device you have. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
