Natural Hazard Early Warning Systems Improved by GPS Tracking Technology
7 Jun 2013GPS Technology now being used to detect natural disasters before they occur.
Natural hazards, like tsunamis, earthquakes and tornadoes, cause disastrous consequences for anyone living or working in those areas. Unfortunately, they also have very little warning potential. Often times, before someone is warned of an impending disaster, it’s too late to find safety. This is where GPS technology can help.
Global positioning systems (GPS) is currently used in one form or another all around the world. It was originally developed for its GPS tracking and navigational technology, but scientists and researchers are finding brand new ways to use it. Most recently, a research team in Germany, has found a way to use data from previous events, to help predict future disasters.
The team is from the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and led by Dr. Andreas Hoechner. Hoechner believes that with the data they have been processing, it can be used to give advanced warning for natural disasters.
It all began with trying to detect tsunamis before they hit — to give local residents the chance to find a safer location before the tsunami arrives. This idea was structured after the most recent Fukushima tsunami that killed 1,600 people in Japan. Hoechner and his team reviewed data from the recent tsunamis and underwater earthquakes, and used it to develop a way for GPS units to determine the likelihood of a tsunami.
This is done by the GPS unit detecting the displacement of tectonic plates under water, which is what occurs after an earthquake. It can look at not only whether or not a tsunami will soon follow, but the height of the wave and where it is going to hit. Following an underwater earthquake, the ground rises. The GPS tracker can look at how high the seafloor rose, in order to calculate what the tsunami height might be.
Hoechner and his team believe they can offer people about 10 minutes of warning time, hopefully giving them enough time for safety.
But the benefits of GPS technology don’t stop there. Scientists are also looking at GPS technology to detect other natural hazards, like tornadoes and earthquakes. New studies are currently being conducted to look at using GPS for detecting these types of events, including when and where they will occur, and the expected severity. Most recently, a series of tornadoes hit Oklahoma and surrounding areas, causing dozens of lives lost. This is giving scientists new reasons to revamp their GPS units and find out exactly what it is capable, in the hopes of saving lives.
Natural hazards, like tsunamis, currently have few ways to detect them before it is too late. Hopefully with these new GPS studies, people have a way to get their families to safety.
Comments are closed.