By Chuck Martin
The city of Los Angeles and AT&T have launched ShakeAlertLA, a mobile app designed to alert resident in Los Angeles County of an earthquake.
A regional sensor network was created to alert users when seismic activity equal to or greater than magnitude 5.0 is detected. The app includes maps to visualize the earthquake epicenter in relation to where the user is located.
ShakeAlertLA is based on seismic data from a network of sensors placed along fault lines. The sensors send data to U.S. Geological Survey scientists. When an earthquake is detected, information is sent to the app and pushed to subscribers as an active alert.
The farther a user is from the epicenter, the greater warning they would receive. The app is designed to provide citizens with a head start so they can take cover from falling debris and also halt public transit systems.
“ShakeAlertLa brings together a wealth of information that is easy to access and user-friendly,” stated Rhonda Johnson, president of AT&T California.
