Although earthquake notification apps have become a big hit among smartphone users after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Taiwan on Feb. 6, killing 116 people and injuring hundreds more, such apps might be of limited benefit because alerts take at least 12 seconds to reach users.
Four apps — only available in Chinese — have been developed and released for free download by private developers in cooperation with the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). Users can receive real-time notifications of the location and magnitude of an earthquake and the earthquake’s intensity in different areas.
As earthquakes cannot be predicted, the bureau can only analyze a seismic wave immediately after an earthquake strikes before transmitting the data, Seismological Center division chief Chiang Chia-hao (江家豪) said on Monday.
It takes the center 12 seconds to process a seismic wave and another 0.15 seconds to transmit the data to app users, Chiang said.
Given that a seismic wave runs 5km per second, only app users living more than 60km from the epicenter of an earthquake would have adequate time to prepare for a tremor, depending on network connectivity and whether the app is running.
Taking the Feb. 6 earthquake as an example, Chiang said that as the quake’s epicenter was in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District (美濃), people in Chiayi County had five seconds to react, while Taipei residents had 20 seconds.
Although the intensity of an earthquake weakens further from the epicenter, having advanced knowledge of a tremor would help people to prepare for it, Chiang said.
“Some people would have time to move away from bookshelves or avoid falling objects,” he said.
The Earthquake Disaster Prevention and Relief and EEW Earthquake Report apps are available on both Android and Apple devices, while the Taiwan Earthquake Early Warning System and KNY Taiwan Weather Earthquake Report apps are only available on Android devices.
For people who are unable to read Chinese, the bureau recommends its Taiwan Weather App for Android devices and its real-time earthquake reports on the bureau’s official Web site.
Taiwan’s three largest telecommunication service providers — Chunghwa Telcom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone Telecommunications — are to continue releasing simulated disaster alerts in designated areas to their subscribers later this month.
The measures, if implemented on April 1 as scheduled, are to be part of the government’s disaster warning system aimed at providing the public with disaster updates as quickly as possible, the National Communications Commission said.
Any 3G or 4G mobile devices capable of receiving broadcast messages are to release warning sounds or vibrate whenever a disaster alert is received. A series of simulated disaster alerts began in Pingtung County last month, the commission said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS