Introduction The Quake-Catcher Network is a collaborative initiative for developing the world's largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network by utilizing sensors in and attached to internet-connected computers. With your help, the Quake-Catcher Network can provide better understanding of earthquakes, give early warning to schools, emergency response systems, and others. The Quake-Catcher Network also provides educational software designed to help teach about earthquakes and earthquake hazards. We're currently in beta testing but welcome new users who have a laptop with a sensor already (later iBooks & PowerBooks, and Macbook/Pro, or Lenovo Thinkpads) or an external USB sensor such as the MotionNode Accel or JoyWarrior 24F8. See http://qcn.stanford.edu for more details, or 'Attach Project' http://qcn.stanford.edu/qcnalpha
VideosQuake-Catcher Network explained by Sciencentral.comScienceSeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of vibrations through Earth. Earthquakes occur when a large amount of energy that is built up over time is suddenly released. This energy release usually takes the form of slip along faults, where rocks on different sides of the fault slide in opposite directions. The rupture (or slip) often causes sharp displacements at the fault and shaking in the ground near the fault. This shaking is measured by sensors called seismometers.
The Seismometer InsideMany laptops currently have a Sudden Motion Sensors or Active Protection Systems inside them. While these sensors were originally designed to help protect the computer's hard disk in case they are dropped or shaken, seismologists can use them to detect earthquakes. The Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) links participating laptops into a single coordinated network that can detect and analyze earthquakes faster and better than ever before. The laptop network is the least expensive seismic network in the world. Because volunteers (individuals like you) donate idle CPU time on laptops with these sensors already built in, each additional sensor doesn’t cost a thing! Does My Laptop Have A Sensor Inside?
Soon we may have a web-based open-source program to tell you whether your laptop has an accelerometer or not.
The USB SensorUnlike laptops, desktops do not have accelerometers inside. So we connect inexpensive universal serial bus (USB) accelerometers to desktops. The USB sensors use similar to the Sudden Motion Sensors that come in many laptops. USB accelerometers connected to desktops have several advantages over laptop sensors:
Three DirectionsThe sensors can measure acceleration in three directions. The easiest way to think of these directions is as the 1) up/down 2) front/back, and 3) side to side motions bobbing motions of a boat. With these three components of direction, it is possible to find the direction of the acceleration. If your laptop is not level (or horizontal), the directional acceleration may not return a zero value when it really should. This is why our software zeros each directional acceleration before it begins to monitor the sensor. Communications and Data TransferLaptops connect to the Quake-Catcher Network over the Internet. Typically, when the QCN software is running, there isn't much need to transfer the data to our headquarters. Instead, the laptop monitors the data locally for new high-energy signals and only sends a single time and a single significance measurement for strong new signals. If our server receives a bunch of these times and significance measurements all at once, then it is likely that an earthquake is happening. If the server receives only a time and significance measurement from one laptop, then the server knows the laptop was shaken by something smaller and more local (like your sister running by, or the door slamming). Results[Where known, we should attempt to keep track of each project's publications. A good list to draw from is here.] Links of Interest
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