DisastersVolunteers help California build quake sensor network

Thousands of residents across California are helping the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) build a dense network of seismic sensors across the state.

As part of the Quake Catcher Network, Californians are being asked to place 6,000 seismic sensors in their homes to help geologists study earthquakes. Last weekend the program was introduced in the San Francisco Bay Area with the help of University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University.

“With thousands of volunteers hosting our seismic sensors, forming dense networks in these regions, we’ll be able to get data on a level of detail and with a degree of accuracy that we could only dream about before” said Jesse Lawrence, assistant professor of geophysics at Stanford University, where the project is based.

The sensors can be plugged into a computer’s USB port and need to be firmly secured to the ground to prevent false readings. Using special software and an internet connection, data is transmitted from the device back to Stanford University, where the information is being collected.

Elizabeth Cochran, a USGS research geophysicist,explained that the sensors will allow geologists to track ground movements after an earthquake from more locations to enable a denser record of seismic data.

“Any time there’s significant shaking, such as you kicking the sensor or an earthquake happening, it sends the signal back to the server in Stanford,” Cochran said.

That data can also be used to help engineers test the resiliency of various building materials in earthquake conditions.

“We can actually use relatively small earthquakes, like (magnitudes of) twos and threes, to get an idea or picture of what the ground shaking is or what the material is in all of these locations, which is useful knowledge for building infrastructures and buildings,” Cochran said.

“With more sensors in high-rise buildings, earthquake engineers will be able to monitor the response of the buildings to earthquake shaking on spatial scales not currently possible” added Monica Kohler, a senior research fellow at CalTech, which is also involved in the project.

In addition, more sensors would enable researchers to pinpoint an earthquake’s epicenter more quickly allowing them more time to relay that information to surrounding cities.

The California Quake Catcher Network project comes on the heels of two similar projects in Chile and New Zealand that also relied on volunteers.

“From past experience, when we asked for volunteers in New Zealand, we typically got very enthusiastic responses,” Cochran said. “We expect a similar thing here.”

Researchers are focusing on the Bay Area as well as areas around Los Angeles and San Diego due to their proximity to major fault lines.

Sensors can be purchased for $49 or residents living in the specific regions being studied can volunteer to host one for free. The sensors will continue recording data for three years, but volunteers can host the device for one year if they choose.