On Tuesday, tech giant, Google announced to expand its “Android Earthquake Alerts System” to Pakistan to enable the users to detect seismic activities in their respective areas. “Today, Google is launching Android Earthquake Alerts System in Pakistan. Android Earthquake Alerts System is a no-cost, helpful Android feature that detects earthquakes around the world and alerts people,” announced Google in a statement.
The Earthquake Alerts System Employs Accelerometers in Active Android Smartphones
The Earthquake Alerts System employs accelerometers in active android smartphones to detect seismic activities. It warns people in two ways — via search and directly on the android mobile device itself. The Earthquake Alerts System provides near-instant information to Google Search. When people look up “earthquake” or “earthquake near me”, they will find relevant results, along with helpful resources on what to do after an earthquake. Users who do not wish to receive these alerts can turn this off in device settings.”
Pakistan has undergone several earthquakes in the past, especially in the northern and western parts of the country. With the addition of this earthquake alert system, android users in the country may receive automatic early warning alerts that would help them be prepared for an emergency. On mobile devices, the Earthquake Alerts System displays two types of alerts, depending on the magnitude and intensity of the earthquake.
The System Warns People According to the Magnitude of the Earthquake
The alert system has two different types of alerts depending on the magnitude of the earthquake. “Be Aware” alerts are meant for light earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 or below on the MMI scale. “Take Action” alerts are meant for more severe earthquakes that are level 5 or higher. It will warn users with full-screen notifications and the phone will make a loud sound to help people prepare for potential heavy shaking.
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