Introduction of Android Earthquake Alerts in India to provide automatic alerts ahead of earthquake
Earthquakes are a prevalent natural disaster worldwide, and timely warnings can prove to be crucial in enabling individuals to prepare and ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones. To this end, Android Earthquake Alerts System, which utilizes sensors in Android smartphones to detect and estimate earthquakes has been developed.
This system has already been implemented in numerous countries across the globe, providing early warnings to individuals when earthquake tremors commence.
Today, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, we are pleased to introduce the Android Earthquake Alerts System in India.
As per the information provided, through this launch, they aim to provide Android users with automatic early warning alerts in the event of an earthquake occurring in their vicinity. Harnessing the capabilities of Android technology, each smartphone is equipped with miniature accelerometers that can function as seismometers. When a phone is charging, it can detect the initial stages of earthquake tremors.
If multiple phones detect similar shaking at the same time, our server can utilize this information to estimate the occurrence of an earthquake, including its epicenter and magnitude. Subsequently, our server can send alerts to nearby phones. As internet signals travel at the speed of light, the alerts often reach phones several seconds before the onset of severe shaking. Our alerts are designed to be user-friendly and available in Indian languages supported by Android.
The Android Earthquake Alerts System1 will be made available to all Android 5+ users in India over the course of the upcoming week. In order to receive alerts, users must have Wi-Fi and/or cellular data connectivity, as well as both Android Earthquake Alerts and location settings enabled. Users who do not wish to receive these alerts may disable Earthquake Alerts in their device settings.
Furthermore, the system offers information via Google Search regarding local seismic events and safety measures when individuals search for information using queries such as “Earthquake near me.” Our aim is to supplement the government’s efforts on earthquake alerts and provide individuals with the necessary advance notice to ensure their safety. In India, we have been working closely with the NDMA to provide users with helpful safety information regarding natural disasters such as floods and cyclones on Google Search and Maps. We are proud to continue our partnership with the NDMA, in conjunction with the NCS, to introduce the Android Earthquake Alerts system to India.
