Japan launched an earthquake early warning service

Japan has begun to provide the world's first earthquake early warning service, whereby the railway, power plants and other sensitive areas will receive early notification a few seconds before the ground vibrates. moved on.

Primary students wear fire-resistant hats for an earthquake training in Tokyo.(Photo: AFP)

The system developed by the Japan Meteorological Agency will first detect subterranean vibrations, then predict their intensity before the big shock waves spread to the surface.

" The longest time that the system can provide for evacuation is about 20 seconds, and even so is in rare cases. In many situations, a warning will be issued after vibrations. grew to the surface , "said Makoto Saito, an official with the Meteorological Agency.

"But even if the warning is only given 1 second ahead, it will still be very useful when people know that very light vibrations initially can lead to massive destructive shock waves," Saito said.

41 organizations have registered to use this service, the meteorological agency said.

The system ran tests in August last year when it sent an early warning 14 seconds before a major earthquake hit an emergency center at a primary school in the northern city of Sendai.

Japan has designed an earthquake-resistant infrastructure, because it suffers from 20% of the major vibrations on earth.

T. An