[Geoldept] ShakeAlert comes to WA!

[Liz Schermer]

Many of you may have heard this, but I thought I'd forward the relevant info:


The U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usgs.gov%2Fnatural-hazards%2Fearthquake-hazards%2Fshakealert&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901801684%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=D5OmvfIxWakPv1YZ5WVcBOEqIS7SqKxOwTAtoLERyF8%3D&reserved=0> will be available to Washingtonians starting May 4th, 2021 at 8 am.  The point of ShakeAlert is to potentially provide seconds of advanced warning before earthquake shaking. This provides enough time for people to receive an alert and safely brace for impact and time for automated actions, such as slowing of trains and elevators and the automated closing of valves to protect water systems. When an earthquake occurs, instruments strategically placed across the state of Washington record seismic waves and locate the earthquake. Because seismic waves travel very quickly, an automated computer system makes rapid assessments about the size of the earthquake, the expected area of impact, and the expected amount of shaking. There is a threshold for the predicted amount of shaking calculated by the automated system. If that threshold is met or exceeded, an emergency alert is then sent to you via the wireless emergency system.



You do not need to “sign up” for alerts with this system.  Though there won’t be a test of the system on May 4th, on that day, you can make sure that you have emergency alerting activated on your phone (see Mil.wa.gov/alerts<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmil.wa.gov%2Falerts&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901811679%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=hcJWpXKodQYVTaWhEVohz%2B2OR5OhQcMO6%2BjV%2B%2FkHoss%3D&reserved=0> for instructions) and you will get alerts automatically.



If you have questions or would like to learn more, watch the 5 minute video<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2Fbq7eQ6kBgxA&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901821674%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=L7SznPimfJdSxC38vT10kd6LNGHGqLay4zjNWh140%2Bs%3D&reserved=0>, then tune in on:



May 29th from 10-11:30 (1 hour presentation + 60 min Q&A) for a webinar<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F442402836821504&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901821674%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=X1XvKqR1HTCZ65V2bEKKWJFDuODgypodE5afoKpNI7g%3D&reserved=0> hosted by the WA Emergency Management Division, which will also be broadcast on TVW and available after the webinar via their website<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tvw.org%2Fwatch%2F%3FeventID%3D2021041316&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901831667%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=GqSeiSE5JrtTz210YXmaJEW3Vv91SAvk2eRIm%2BokkxM%3D&reserved=0>.



-or-



May 4th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. PDT for a Facebook Live event<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F278578143739633%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901841672%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=3Yt%2FrOyBofoFHfOvUCk2%2B1lxcuSnFU%2FoxVXOFmPfsn4%3D&reserved=0> hosted by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network



There is also a free, printable activity booklet for kids<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frocketrules.org%2Fearthquake-activity-books-videos%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cschermer%40wwu.edu%7C8e9a76cb05614ffd06c008d90a6e02d2%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637552289901851660%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=I5YDEgbJDr1arR1wZsslIU4ZWiN06tzOAivW27fxhGo%3D&reserved=0> to help them prepare for earthquake safety, and it is available in many languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Armenian, French, Japanese, and Korean).




_____________________________
Elizabeth Schermer, Ph.D, Professor  (she, hers, her)
Geology Dept
Western Washington University
516 High St. MS9080
Bellingham, WA 98225
360-650-3658
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