2 Washington Universities Get Federal Funding Boost for Earthquake Early-warning Systems

The University of Washington and Central Washington University are among seven west coast universities and organizations splitting $12.5 million to upgrade the new ShakeAlert earthquake warning system.

The system has already been rolled out in Washington, Oregon and California. It doesn't predict earthquakes, but it can warn people when shaking will reach them once the earthquake has started.

The farther away someone is from the origin of the earthquake, the more warning they will have. That could mean a matter of crucial seconds for some areas.

ShakeAlert has the potential to let individuals know in advance when to seek cover. Its early warning system could also give people time to turn off water and gas valves....

Central Washington University (CWU) operates a network of some 2,000 GPS sites. It will receive $474,000 this year and expects $240,000 in the second year of the grant to begin integrating GPS technology into the ShakeAlert system for all three states, according to seismologist Tim Melbourne, CWU's Director of the Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array.

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