GPS may be reliable for early warning of larger quakes. Both seismic waves and seismometers saturate at magnitudes above M7.5. That is to say its hard to tell a 7.5 from a 8 or 9 because appear similar size waves. It takes sophisticated computer analysis of a global set of seismographs to computer true quake size. This initial confusion happened in the disastrous 2011 Fukishima quake.
On the other hand working with GPS displacements gives an answer in less than a minute for larger quakes and more warning time.
Common cellphone GPS being able to feel an earthquake would be incredible. Imagine Google Maps telling you to pull over because there was an earthquake, or redirecting you to safety.
Most phones today would already be able to feel an earthquake via the built-in accelerometer they have. Actually, there is a network of people sharing this information with each other already, called MyShake: https://myshake.berkeley.edu/
That app has great potential, but it's not really ready for prime time. Its rating in Google Play is 3.1 based on over 3,500 votes.
Today, they are apologizing for a problem wherein the app reported a 6.1 quake as being located somewhere in the United States, which is not very helpful.
Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly.
> "Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly."
I've seen it suggested before, but if this app or one like it only worked while the phone was plugged in, that would eliminate power consumption concerns and also provide cleaner data (a phone plugged in is usually sitting flat on a table, counter, etc, and is thus in a better position to collect seismic data than if it were in somebody's pocket.)
I prefer the Japanese system where they invested in a network of seismometers and blast out a notification, so your phone alerts you of the earthquake before it reaches you
So you compare each and every devices state every X seconds to determine if somethings that statistically never happens is happening?
I can't be the only thinking this is nonsense. Just install a bunch of actual earthquake detectors and make them send notifications via already existing alert systems.
I'm just saying it can be done. Not that it should be the new gold standard.
A less chatty implementation would be if each phone only contacted the server when it sensed a possible quake. If it gets a few correlated hits, it can even send out a "hey did everyone feel that?" question.
Doesn't really seem that difficult. The patterns of picking up a phone, running with it and having it just lay on a vibrating surface are very different. It would be particularly easy to spot panic during a usual running routine.
More, I'd imagine you could look for a signal common to many devices. Unless you are picking up all phones in your household with the same signal, any signal common to them all is likely more global. Could detect if folks are in the same car?
All these "things" GPS can do involve the satellite signals being received by very specialized equipment, not cell phones which arguably the title implies.
On the other hand working with GPS displacements gives an answer in less than a minute for larger quakes and more warning time.
https://eos.org/features/seismic-sensors-in-orbit-2