Quake-Catcher Network |
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
Contents | |
Videos
Quake-Catcher Network explained by Sciencentral.com
Science
Seismology 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 Inside
Many 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?
If you have a Macintosh laptop manufactured after January 1, 2005 then you probably do.
If you have a Thinkpad manufactured after 2003, then you probably do.
If you have a HP laptop was produced since January 2007, you may have a 3D Motion Data Protection System.
If you have an Acer laptop produced since January 2007, you may have a Gravisense accelerometer on board.
The USB Sensor
Unlike 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:
- Desktops are not usually moved around as much as laptops.
- Desktops are usually placed on the floor or on sturdy desks, but laptops are often on people's laps.
- Third, the USB accelerometer is physically separated from the keyboard, so typing does not effect the sensor.
- If the user wishes, the USB sensors can be monitored continuously, not just when the computer is in screensaver mode.
- A USB sensor can be attached to any desktop with a USB port, not just particular laptops with accelerometers already internal to them.
- USB sensors can be aligned to north, so we know what directions the X and Y axes actually are.
Three Directions
The 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 Transfer
Laptops 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
[Why recreate the wheel; there are lots of great sources out there.; a good list of sources can be really useful to the reader.]
Quake-Catcher Network In the Classroom
[For each project, please add a "[Projectname] in the Classroom" section-- with a link to Volunteer Computing In the Classroom and an article named "[Projectname] in the Classroom". (Then please add "[Projectname] in the Classroom" to the list on the main Education page.)]
Categories: Projects