Smartphones have transformed into earthquake warning systems. A smartphone system that detects earthquakes in real time worldwide and sends alerts to users has been activated. Earthquake warnings can mean the difference between life and death within just a few seconds. The smartphone-based earthquake warning system is gaining attention as a routine disaster response technology because it can respond quickly anywhere in the world.
Researchers from Google LLC announced on the 18th that the 'Android Earthquake Alert System (AEA)', based on the Android operating system, has achieved performance comparable to existing earthquake detection networks over the past three years. The research findings were published that day in the international journal 'Science.'
Earthquakes cause enormous loss of life and property. Since it is difficult to predict in advance, issuing warnings as quickly as possible after an earthquake occurs is crucial. However, most countries that are at high risk for earthquakes struggle to establish earthquake observation networks. This is because earthquake early warning systems rely on expensive fixed equipment made up of seismometers and sensors.
Researchers from Google LLC developed a global earthquake detection and warning system that utilizes Android smartphones, which account for about 70% of smartphones worldwide. When the smartphone's accelerometer detects vibrations caused by an earthquake, it sends the information to Google's servers. If similar signals are confirmed from multiple smartphones, it is determined that an actual earthquake has occurred, and the system swiftly calculates the magnitude and occurrence time to issue alerts.
The Android Earthquake Alert System operated from 2021 until last year. During that time, approximately 60 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher occurred monthly across 98 countries, resulting in about 18 million alert notifications being sent out. Among these, an average of 312 earthquakes were detected per month in Turkey alone. The detected earthquakes varied in magnitude from 1.9 to a maximum of 7.8. Magnitude is a measure of the amount of energy released when an earthquake occurs.
The major earthquake in Turkey on Feb. 6, 2023, showcased the greatest effectiveness of the Android earthquake alert system since its launch. During the second earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.5, alerts were sent to a total of 3,944,909 smartphones a few seconds to over a minute before the seismic waves arrived.
When a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurred in the Philippines in November 2023, users near the epicenter received alerts up to 15 seconds in advance, while those farther away received alerts as much as 90 seconds beforehand. In the same month, during the magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Nepal, people close to the epicenter did not receive advance warnings, but most residents of Nepal, who were a bit farther away, received alerts 10 to 60 seconds in advance.
The Android Earthquake Alert System also collected user feedback voluntarily to verify its performance. Among the survey participants, 85% reported having experienced actual seismic shaking, with 36% receiving alerts before shaking, 28% during the earthquake, and 23% after the earthquake occurred.
The researchers explained that "by using smartphones distributed globally, it is possible to detect earthquakes with performance similar to existing national systems and issue large-scale alerts," adding, "We are quickly collecting large-scale data and analyzing it to improve alert accuracy."
References
Science (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ads4779