China has achieved a major milestone by unveiling the World Largest Earthquake Early Warning Network, the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) announced.
The extensive project, featuring 15,899 monitoring stations nationwide, will offer comprehensive earthquake early warning services and rapid intensity reporting. According to Yin Chaomin, vice head of the CEA, these warnings will be disseminated via TV, IPTV, mobile apps like WeChat and Alipay, and loudspeakers in rural areas.
The network leverages a dense array of seismic monitoring stations to provide alerts before destructive seismic waves arrive, utilizing the slower travel time of seismic waves compared to electromagnetic signals. This system allows the public to take preventive measures and reduce potential casualties, with warnings issued from seconds to minutes ahead of the seismic waves.
Yin Chaomin highlighted that the project has achieved significant advancements in core earthquake early warning technologies and rapid intensity reporting, with performance levels matching international standards. The system can issue early warning signals within seconds in critical zones such as northern China and the southeastern coast and can report earthquake intensity within minutes nationwide.
The network is capable of detecting earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or higher in most areas, 2.0 or higher in eastern regions, and 1.0 or higher in highly populated areas like the capital circle and the Yangtze River Delta. It is also integrated with various industries, including railways, pipelines, power grids, nuclear power, and natural gas.
China, known for its seismic activity, reported 18 earthquakes with magnitudes of 5 or higher in 2023, including 11 on the mainland and 2 exceeding magnitude 6.
