The Status of Earthquake Early Warning around the World: An Introductory Overview

Abstract

The term “earthquake early warning” (EEW) is used to describe real-time earthquake information systems that have the potential to provide warning prior to significant ground shaking. This is possible by rapidly detecting the energy radiating from an earthquake rupture and estimating the resulting ground shaking that will occur later in time either at the same location or some other location. Warning times range from a few seconds to a little more than a minute and are primarily a function of the distance of the user from the earthquake epicenter.