World's first pre-quake alert system set up in Japan
Posted : Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:32:09 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Science (Technology)
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Tokyo - The Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday began
operating the world's first system to give pre-earthquake warnings to the
public. The system is designed to detect earthquakes by sensing small
seismic waves that precede big quakes and give warnings a few seconds
before a major quake hits to regions expected to suffer damage.
Warnings would be aired through a public television station,
NHK, and private stations as well as radio stations, the agency said.
The service is only available in Japan.
Only hours before the system was put in place, an earthquake
measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale hit central Japan early Monday morning,
injuring at least one person in Kanagawa prefecture, east of Tokyo.
No tsunami warning was issued, but train services in the area
were suspended.
Department stores in Tokyo plan to set up a warning
announcement system to inform their customers before a quake hits, while
some firms already have similar systems in place to suspend trains or
cranes at construction sites.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/116643.html
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