Earthquake Early Warning: Key Publications
Toward Earthquake Early Warning
Below are some of the key publications leading from the scientific discoveries making earthquake early warning possible to the public policy and legislation providing for a public warning system in the United States.
The MyShake Platform: A Global Vision for Earthquake Early Warning.
Allen, R.M., Q. Kong, R. Martin-Short, Pure Appl. Geophys. 177, 1699–1712, 2020 (doi: 10.1007/s00024-019-02337-7)
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Towards Global Earthquake Early Warning with the MyShake Smartphone Seismic Network
Kong, Q., R. Martin-Short, R.M. Allen, Seismo. Res. Lett. (doi: 10.1785/0220190177 and 10.1785/02201901782020), 2020
Part 1 - Simulation platform and detection algorithm. (Download PDF)
Part 2 - Understanding MyShake performance around the world. (Download PDF)
MyShake Citizen Seismologists help launch dual-use seismic network in California
Strauss, J.A., Q. Kong, S. Pothan, S. Thompson, A. Mejia, S. Allen, S. Patel, R.M. Allen, Front. Commun. 5:32. (doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2020.00032), 2020
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Optimizing Earthquake Early Warning Performance: ElarmS‐3
Chung, A.I., I. Henson, R.M. Allen, Seismo. Res. Lett. 90 (2A) p727-743 (doi: 10.1785/0220180192), 2019
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Earthquake Early Warning: Advances, Scientific Challenges, and Societal Needs
Allen, R.M., D. Melgar, Earthquake Early Warning: Advances, Scientific Challenges, and Societal Needs. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 47:361–88, 2019.
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Quantifying the value of real‐time geodetic constraints for earthquake early warning using a global seismic and geodetic data set.
Ruhl, C. J., Melgar, D., Chung, A. I., Grapenthin, R., & Allen, R. M., J. Geophysical Research: Solid Earth,124 (doi: 10.1029/2018JB016935), 2019 Download PDF
Revised technical implementation plan for the ShakeAlert system—An earthquake early warning system for the West Coast of the United States
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1155
Authors: Given, D.D., Allen, R.M., Baltay, A.S., Bodin, P., Cochran, E.S., Creager, K., Gee, L.S., Hauksson, E., Heaton, T.H., Hellweg, M., Murray, J.R., Thomas, V.I., Toomey, D., and Yelin, T.S.
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The value of real-time GNSS to earthquake early warning
Ruhl, C.J., D. Melgar, R. Grapenthin, and R.M. Allen, Geopys. Res. Lett., 44, 8311-8319, (doi: 10.1002/2017GL074502), 2017 Download PDF
Benefits and Costs of Earthquake Early Warning
Three lives saved, two semiconductor plants warned, one Bay Area Rapid Transit train slowed,
a 1% reduction in nonfatal injuries, and a 0.25% avoidance of gas-related fire damage would each save enough
money to pay for 1 year of operation of a public warning system for the entire U.S. West Coast.
Strauss and Allen, Seismological Research Letters May/June 2016, doi: 10.1785/0220150149
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May 2014: Technical Implementation Plan for the ShakeAlert Production System—An Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast of the United States
USGS Open File Report 2014-1097 detailing what is needed to implement a public earthquake early warning system for the US west coast.
Authors: D.D. Given, E.S. Cochran, T. Heaton, E. Hauksson, R. Allen, P. Hellweg, J. Vidale, and P. Bodin
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October 2013: Seconds count -- Nature
The United States should install an earthquake early-warning
system now — and before the next big one hits, says Richard Allen.
Allen, Nature 502, 29-31, doi:10.1038/502029a, 2013.
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September 2013: Senate Bill No. 135 signed into law
California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 135 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), which requires that the Office of Emergency Services develop a comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning system to alert Californians in advance of dangerous shaking.
The legislation also directs the Office of Emergency Services to identify a source of funding for the system.
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April 2011: Seconds before the big one -- Scientific American
Earthquake detection systems can sound the alarm in the moments before a big tremor strikes—time enough to save lives
Allen, Scientific American
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2009: Two special issue volumes about earthquake early warning in key geophysical journals
A total of 17 articles in the two issues including an overview of earthquake early warning around the world [Allen et al. SRL 2009], and a report of the first alert generated for a California earthquake by ElarmS [Allen et al. GRL 2009].
May 2003: The Potential for Earthquake Early Warning in Southern California -- Science
Here we outline the earthquake early warning concept for the United States and detail how the ElarmS warning algorithm could provide alerts if implemented on the real-time seismic networks.
Allen and Kanamori, Science, 300, 786-789, 2003.
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Earthquake Early Warning
BSL: Recent News Stories
Seismo Blog Posts About Earthquake Early Warning
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- Extremely Useful – But Not a Perfect System
- Earthquake Early Warning is Finally Here
- It Worked ... and It Did Not!
- Temblors and Politics
- Earthquakes, High Tech and Tinkerers
- What Mexico Has, California Is Lacking
- Shaken But Not Stirred
- Shaking Expected in 30 Seconds
- Slow Trains and Earthquakes
