BEIJING – China is building the world’s largest and most advancedearthquake alert system which is set to be completed in 2022.
Engineers are setting up more than 15,000 sensors all over the country andwiring them into a web.
When an earthquake happens, the sensors can send electrical pulses to thecontrol center and then ordinary people’s smartphones, according to ChinaTelevision Network (CGTN) on Tuesday.
The signal travels at (almost) light speed and is much faster than thedevastating earthquake shaking, giving local people a little bit time toprepare.
The system can send messages to people less than two seconds after theearthquake happens. So the time between the warning and the actual impactmight only be seconds or a minute.
But it’s proved to be life-saving because of every second matter in thissituation.
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Similar systems can be found in other earthquake-prone places includingJapan and US west coast.
But China’s system can be more advanced in many ways.
“It will be the largest earthquake observation network in the world,” saidLi Shanyou, deputy chief engineer of the system.
The system can not only detect the movement of the continents but alsocalculate the possible impact of an earthquake. So it will automaticallywarn local people, making it much faster than human observation. Thesystem, overseen by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, is set to becompleted in 2022. -APP/AFP
