Earthquake warning is not an emergency

Recently, a piece of news about the construction of the world's largest earthquake early warning system in Chengdu, Sichuan has spread over the main doors of various parts of the country. According to relevant news reports, this early warning system is the latest achievement developed by a private institute under the support and assistance of many professional functional departments such as the national and local authorities. Its coverage area can reach 400,000 square kilometers, thus successfully surpassing the system that can cover 377,000 in Japan and become the world's largest early warning system.

It is understood that this system has been successfully applied to the destructive earthquake in Yunnan Qiaojia since it was put into use. It can be delivered in a timely manner via TV, Weibo, mobile phones, networks, etc. In addition, this system also has the intensity (disaster) quick report function, which can draw a speed report map within one minute after the earthquake, which greatly enhances the outside world's understanding of the disaster area.

Such a system was launched in Sichuan. I think this is a very effective soothing for those who have experienced the trauma of the May 12 earthquake in 2008.

In fact, talking about earthquake early warning systems, I am afraid that many of my friends are still very strange. After all, in our subconscious mind, the earthquake always plays a mysterious and unpredictable role. What then can this system bring us?

It is understood that the current earthquake warning system mainly includes a seismic monitoring network, a rapid determination system for seismic parameters, a rapid alarm information release system, and an early warning information acceptance terminal. The biggest characteristic of this system in the application is the accurate real-time monitoring function, as well as the rapid response characteristics. Since the earthquake was formed, it was due to the rupture or displacement of the rock mass from a few kilometers to several hundred kilometers underground, which caused a shock wave to occur around. Since this shock wave has a time difference from the epicenter to the ground, the earthquake early warning system uses this reduced time difference to complete the notification to the outside world.

There is an example on the Internet: If an earthquake occurs in Wenchuan, its shock wave may take more than 20 seconds to reach Chengdu. However, if the more sensitive seismic monitoring system only takes five seconds to feel the shock wave of the earthquake, then it will use more than a dozen The second is the automatic release of information, so the remaining seconds become valuable spare time for earthquake response. This is also the most important function of the current earthquake early warning system.

However, the limitation of the earthquake warning is based on its work characteristics. For example, if the epicenter is too far away from the monitoring point, or if the depth of the earthquake is shallow, the warning time of the earthquake warning will inevitably be squeezed accordingly. It makes it almost impossible for people to benefit from early warning systems.

Earthquake warning is not an emergency. In this news report, we learned that this set of earthquake warning system costing RMB 160 million is China's first self-developed and most advanced earthquake warning system with the largest global coverage area. However, for this earthquake early warning system, the author believes that we must face with a more rational attitude.

Looking at the current technology application in the entire alarm field, the phenomenon of false positives is the most vexing problem for related industries. Whether it is the anti-theft fence we often mention, infrared alarms, or we are more familiar with vehicle alarms, false alarms Phenomenon has almost made a lot of users irritated and lost patience. For earthquake warnings, this is undoubtedly one of the most important, but it can almost be said to be the most difficult alarm demand in the alarm field.

As a region prone to earthquakes, Japan is a country that is recognized as having a thorough understanding of earthquakes in the world. However, after years of research, Japan is still in a state that it is difficult to familiarize with earthquake early warning. Therefore, for us, we need to be more cautious in R&D and use.

Similar to common anti-theft alarm equipment, how to reduce the false alarm rate during the earthquake alarm is the most important issue for us. Of course, it is easier for earthquake early warning. However, if blind applications are applied at the beginning of technical practice, once everyone “immunizes” the alarms like most of today’s burglar alarms, the losses will obviously be much greater.

For the global problem of earthquake warning, we do not demand 100% of the hits for each alarm. We will not ask what standards our equipment will meet after several strong earthquakes. However, as the public is more concerned about the attitude of the device in the application. But don't let a hard-worked hope technology be blindly launched and eventually be questioned, even dismissive. This is the biggest failure in the research field.

As a member of the deeply troubled phenomenon of false alarms in the current alarm equipment, we have sincerely praised the breakthrough made by the country in the field of earthquake protection, but we can also accept that similar equipment can move forward in a more relaxed and stable environment. . And not because of too many rushes and expectations, making it repeat the mistakes of today's alarm.