Mexico City Seismic Alert System

Abstract

The Seismic Alert System (SAS) for Mexico City has been operating as an experimental evaluation project since August, 1991. The aim of this project is to mitigate the effects of earthquakes generated in the Guerrero Gap. There is an advantage of 60 sec average for an early warning before a quake that occurs on the Guerrero coast strikes Mexico City, 320 km away. The system is designed to broadcast a universal alert for earthquakes in Guerrero above the threshold M ≥ 6, and a limited alert for earthquakes with M ≥ 5. The warning radio receivers are installed in elementary schools, commercial radio stations, offices of Civil and Mexican government agencies, universities, public services, and housing complexes. The civil authorities have backed up the project by increasing the preparedness of the people, to ensure that if an earthquake occurs people are ready to get through it safely and respond...