Google’s Smartphone Network Now Alerts Billions to Incoming Earthquakes
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Google has transformed 2 billion smartphones into a widespread earthquake warning system, increasing alert coverage by 1,000% for people in earthquake risk zones worldwide.
📈 One key stat: The Android Earthquake Alert system has sent out alerts for 11,000 earthquakes across 98 countries, with 85% of Google device users reporting they received warnings.
💬 One key quote: “What if we could give people a few precious seconds of warning before the shaking starts? Those seconds can be enough time to get off a ladder, move away from dangerous objects and take cover.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Google has created a global earthquake warning system by using accelerometer data from Android-powered smartphones and smartwatches. The Android Earthquakes Alert system captures faint signals of P-waves that precede more destructive seismic activity, effectively crowdsourcing earthquake detection. This technology functions like a massive sensor network, predicting where earthquakes may strike and estimating their power based on collected data. The system has dramatically expanded early warning coverage, particularly benefiting regions that lack sophisticated government warning systems due to financial constraints.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This innovative use of existing technology has made early earthquake warnings accessible to a billion more people than traditional systems could reach. The few seconds of warning provided can be lifesaving, allowing people to seek shelter or move away from dangerous situations before shaking begins. For countries without resources to build comprehensive seismographic networks, this technology offers a vital safety net at no additional cost. The system complements Google’s other disaster prevention efforts, like their Flood Hub project which sent 25 million flood alerts to India and Bangladesh during the 2023 monsoon season.
3️⃣ What’s next: While the system has limitations, such as underestimating the magnitude of some events like the 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, Google continues to refine the technology. Improving the balance between speed and accuracy remains a key challenge, as each second of delay means less warning time for those in danger. Google will likely expand coverage to more countries while enhancing the system’s prediction capabilities.
Read the full story here: Good News Network – Google Turns 2 Billion Smartphones into a Global Earthquake Warning System
