Researchers from the Nevada Geodesy Laboratory, University of Nevada, developed an earthquake detection tool using GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite data. Photo/researchcomputing
WASHINGTON – Researchers from the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory, University of Nevada, developed a detector earthquake using GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite data. In a new study published in the Journal of Geophysics on July 20, 2023, this method can predict earthquake events 2 hours in advance.
For decades, scientists have tried to find patterns that precede major earthquakes so people have time to prepare, but so far those efforts have been unsuccessful. However, satellite GPS can help researchers identify precursors to strong earthquakes two hours before they occur.
You do this by tracking the tiny “slips” in tectonic plates as they rub against one another. Earthquakes occur when slow-moving slabs of rock just beneath the Earth’s surface suddenly slide past one another.
These events release waves of energy that trigger shocks on the surface, which can vary from small rumblings to large earthquakes. “Identifying these subtle movement patterns can help scientists warn people about earthquakes hours in advance,” said Quentin Bletery, a University of Nevada researcher, quoted by SINDOnews from the Live Science page, Friday (28/7/2023).
The researchers analyzed global GPS data from more than 90 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7. GPS satellites are able to detect ground movement by measuring the position of embedded sensors around the Earth and recording how much it has moved over time.
Scientists tracked how ground motion shifted in the 48 hours leading up to each event, noting specifically the amount and direction of shaking. They found that two hours before the earthquake struck, the horizontal ground motion accelerated in a consistent pattern.
This pattern is called a “slow slip fault,” which is when the ground moves without generating any seismic waves or vibrations. Then the researchers repeated this analysis on 100,000 random 48-hour time windows that did not occur before the earthquake and saw a similar pattern in only 0.03% of the sample.
This supports the idea that a “slow slip fault” pattern occurs before an earthquake most of the time. This new study tapped more than 3,000 sensors around the world to uncover patterns before an earthquake.
But identifying patterns of slow fault slip at individual locations will require sensors that are at least 100 times more sensitive than existing technology. “This system could be implemented by developing a more sophisticated GPS system,” Bletery told Scientific American.
(wib)
2023-07-28 07:13:58
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