California successfully tested its early-warning alert system Thursday for the first times since it became publicly available throughout the state last year.
Warnings produced by the U.S. Geological Surveyâs ShakeAlert system were pushed out to roughly 5 million Californians who had downloaded UC Berkeleyâs MyShake app.
âThe test alert went well,â said Jennifer Strauss, a spokesperson for the Berkeley Seismology Lab, in an email, adding that feedback from users was âgenerally positive.â
The phone app warns users to âdrop, cover, and hold onâ if they are likely to experience shaking intensity of at least three out of a maximum of 10 in a magnitude 4.5 or higher earthquake. Many people will feel a quake with a level three shaking intensity, according to researchers.
USGS calculates that California has a 99.7% chance of being struck by at least a 6.7 magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years.
The system alerts people a few moments before a quake can be felt so they can prepare. The system uses numerous seismic stations to detect the start of an earthquake and rapid communications to send the data to computers that instantly calculate location, magnitude, and intensity of shaking, creating alerts for distribution to areas within the quake zone. The system does not predict earthquakes.
Warnings produced by the ShakeAlert system are also pushed through the same wireless notification system that issues Amber Alerts.
After years of sluggish progress in development of an early-warning system, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled MyShake statewide last year to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake that ravaged the San Francisco Bay area on Oct. 17, 1989.
The test Thursday coincided with the Great California Shakeout safety drill, which occurs on the third Thursday of October each year.
1⃣ Drop2⃣ Cover3⃣ Hold on
During this yearâs California #ShakeOut learn about earthquake preparedness and how you can receive an early warning on your phone before shaking starts.
https://t.co/204vzovUErpic.twitter.com/S5ra3j95Im
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) October 15, 2020
In August, Google announced that all Android phones will automatically receive the warnings, although it’s unclear if the company participated in todayâs test.
âOur partners at Google did not inform us about any tests being done in conjunction with the 2020 Great California ShakeOut,â wrote Robert-Michael de Groot, a spokesperson for the USGS Earthquake Science Center in an email.
Google did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
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