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earthquake early warning

Nov 14, 2019

Drop, cover, and hold on

The final land-based Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) sensors have been installed, completing this advanced seismic infrastructure for British Columbia's alerting system. The system, now ready for commissioning, includes eight seafloor EEW sensors installed on the Cascadia subduction zone, providing real time data on earthquakes—a first on the seafloor off the coast of North America. 36 land-based EEW sites on Vancouver Island help to pin down high magnitude earthquakes.

Data integration is done with the Canadian National Seismograph Network and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. We are currently working with alerting authorities to determine future roll out of the earthquake early warning system.

...

Read more

earthquake | earthquake early warning | tsumani | Cascadia subduction zone | data

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Jan 23, 2018

Data from Alaska’s Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake and Tsunami

On 23 January 2018, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in the Gulf of Alaska at 1:35 am PT. A tsunami warning was issued for the west coast of Canada and the United States. The tsunami warning was cancelled at 4:40 am PT.

Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) real-time sensors detected the earthquake and the subsequent small tsunami that rippled out across the northeast Pacific (Figure 1).

magnitude 7.9 Alaskan earthquake

Figure 1. The relative timing of the magnitude 7.9 Alaskan earthquake and the subsequent small tsunami as detected by ONC real-time sensors.

The resulting tsunami wave was relatively small because this was a strike-slip...

Read more

tsunami | earthquake | earthquake early warning | EEWS | Vancouver Island | alaska

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Sep 12, 2017

Earthquakes shed light on British Columbia’s early warning system

In September 2017, Ocean Networks Canada's (ONC) seismic sensors collected real-time information on two recent and very different earthquakes: one distant quake off Mexico’s west coast and a much smaller regional event near Ucluelet, British Columbia. Both seismic events provide insight into British Columbia’s earthquake early warning system, currently in development.

Early warning for Mexico’s magnitude 8.1 earthquake

On 7 September, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off Mexico’s southwest coast near the Guatemalan border. ONC’s sensors detected the seismic waves over 4,700 kilometres away (Figure 1).

...
Read more

EEWS | earthquake early warning | sensors | Mexico City | SASMEX | Nanometrics

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Are earthquakes on the rise?
Jan 25, 2017

Jan 25, 2017

Are earthquakes on the rise?

With media coverage of the recent earthquakes in Italy (M6.6), New Zealand (M7.8), Japan (M6.9), and Papua New Guinea (M7.9), you might be wondering whether earthquake activity is increasing. Long-term earthquake statistics in the last 12 months indicate that it was an average year: there were no earthquakes of M8.0 or higher (one M8.0+ is the annual average) and 19 earthquakes with M7.0 - 7.9 (17 is the annual average). These statistics (Figure 1) show that...

Read more

earthquake | earthquake early warning | statistics | data | megathrust earthquake

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Jul 27, 2016

Deployed: the first spike for British Columbia's earthquake early warning system

In June 2016, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) successfully deployed and connected the first of several earthquake early warning sensors on the Cascadia subduction zone. It will be part of a network of seismic sensors that ONC will install underwater and on land as part of an earthquake early warning system funded by Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC).

The first EEWS sensor being deployed on the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The first EEWS sensor being deployed on the Cascadia subduction zone.

In February...

Read more

earthquake early warning | EEWS | Cascadia subduction zone | accelerometer | barkley canyon

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Jul 8, 2016

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Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) Expedition 2016: Wiring the Abyss returned to port on June 25 after 40 days at sea off the west coast of Canada. This ambitious undertaking involved 149 people aboard three ships, and included three remotely operated vehicles (ROV) making 44 dives to deploy, maintain and recover 180 instruments and lay 18 km of fibre-optic cable. The dynamic 24/7 operations engaged viewers across the world via live stream and featured regular Q&A with scientists, educators and engineers.

...
Read more

expedition 2016 | R/V Sikuliaq | C/S Wave Venture | E/V Nautilus | NEPTUNE | Wiring the Abyss | earthquake early warning | endeavour | barkley canyon | wally

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Jun 28, 2016

A Fly-on-the-Wall: Notes from Port Alberni's Exercise Coastal Response

As Canada’s west coast braces for a much-anticipated major earthquake, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is working with partners to develop an earthquake early warning system. ONC has also been collaborating with other research agencies to develop preliminary tsunami wave propagation models that provide time of arrival, wave height, and inundation maps. These models—together with ONC’s observatories, sensors, and the new warning system under development—are crucial tools for tsunami preparedness.

Model Animations

Port Alberni

...

Read more

earthquake early warning | coastal response | port alberni | digital elevation modelling

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Feb 29, 2016

Ocean Networks Canada to coordinate earthquake early warning system for B.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

​Earthquake early warning receives a big boost in British Columbia today. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, will develop a regional earthquake early warning system for southern British Columbia—home to over 50% of the province’s residents—with funding from the province.

Gathering to celebrate $5 million investment in earthquake early warning (left to right): Dave Cockle, Oak Bay fire chief and President, BC Earthquake Alliance; The Honourable Naomi Yamamoto; Kate Moran, ONC President & CEO; and Don McRae, MLA for...

Read more

earthquake early warning | Naomi Yamamoto

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Feb 28, 2016

Award-winning study compares the Cascadia subduction zone to offshore Japan

​In January 2016, University of Victoria Master’s student, Dawei Gao, won an Outstanding Student Poster Award at the 2015 American Geophysical Union Fall meeting. His co-authored paper on earthquake dynamics explores the question: What would happen if the Cascadia subduction fault (off the west coast of Canada) ruptured, or broke, in the same way as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake? 

Dawei Gao stands ready to answer questions beside his award-winning student poster at the 2015 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

Dawei developed profiles of the...

Read more

Dawei Gao | AGU 2015 | cascadia | earthquake early warning

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Jan 29, 2016

Making progress on earthquake early warning

During the night on 27 January 1700, a powerful magnitude 9 earthquake ruptured the Pacific coast along the Cascadia subduction fault zone. Historical records, as far away as Japan, confirm this devastating event.

Fast forward 316 years. Scientists now believe that major fault lines build up pressure over hundreds of years, and eventually release the pressure as a megathrust earthquake. Before that can happen, Ocean Networks Canada is poised to send an advance warning with sensors and software that can detect an earthquake—up to 90 seconds before the major shaking starts.

...

Read more

earthquake early warning | megathrust earthquake | Shake Out

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