Early Seismic Warning System?, April 1

Some members of the West Coast Congressional Delegation are asking the House Appropriations Committee to allocate more money for a new earthquake early warning system. The president’s budget for next year includes a $5 million allocation, but the U.S. Geological Survey says it needs about $16 million a year to build, operate and maintain the system. The warning system would use sensors to detect the initial, less destructive waves of an earthquake. However, the warning would not produce much advance notice. In fact, officials say it could be a few seconds or up to a minute. The hope is that pilot project, run by Oregon, California and Washington universities, could develop into a better warning system.