G24AC00445

Project Title
Operation Maintenance Support and Improvement of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast 2024-2027

Collaborative research with Univ. of California Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, Univ. of Washington, and Univ. of Oregon

Project Period
8/15/2024 through 8/14/2027

Award Purpose
Operation maintenance support and improvement of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast.

The regional geophysical networks on the U.S. West Coast in California (CA), Oregon (OR), and Washington (WA) will continue to collaborate with each other and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and provide data, expertise, and infrastructure for the USGS ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.

Activities to be Performed
Complete the network of sensor stations, remediate underperforming stations, and operate and maintain stations.

Ensure continuous and secure data flow to the regional central processing centers by maintaining and configuring various kinds of telemetry devices, optimizing data routes, and designing and implementing redundant data paths.

Continuous monitoring of station health, data quality, and data flow.

Maintenance of the software and IT infrastructure at each of the regional processing centers where ShakeAlert products are generated.

Incrementally replace the internal message brokers and make other system changes intended to increase robustness and flexibility.

Continuous evaluation and improvement of the core algorithms with a special focus on very large earthquakes, earthquake sequences, and offshore earthquakes.

Evaluate whether additional measurements such as backazimuth and polarization estimates and S-phase arrival times may further improve the system's reliability and accuracy.

Investigate whether the system's reliability and accuracy might be improved by combining the results from the three core algorithms in different ways.

For example, investigate whether GFAST PGD, which is important for very large earthquakes and which is based on peak ground displacements, should estimate its distance to the finite source estimate rather than the point source estimate.

Take initial steps toward incorporating new types of data such as data from small aperture arrays and data acquired using distributed acoustic sensing.

Deliverables and Expected Outcomes
Timely and accurate earthquake early warnings for a large proportion of the population or infrastructure experiencing strong shaking due to an earthquake in or near CA, OR, or WA.

Improved understanding and tuning of the system with each significant earthquake and proactive testing using scenarios and previously recorded data.

Well-articulated explanations of the system's strengths and limitations that allow users, including third-party alert distributors, to make informed decisions.

Increased awareness and use of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.

Intended Beneficiaries
The U.S. Geological Survey, inhabitants of CA, OR, and WA, emergency management state agencies, private and public entities wishing to take protective measures upon notification of imminent ground shaking due to an earthquake.

Subrecipient Activities
N/A

University Of Oregon

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS RESEARCH FOR NATURAL HAZARDS, ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES, ECOSYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND WATER RESOURCES.

15.807 - Earthquake Hazards Program Assistance

USGS Office of Acquisitions and Grants [DOI - USGS]

Oregon United States

State-Wide

Proposals for Operation, Support, Improvement, and Expansion of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast (G24AS00653)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 105% from $1,559,996 to $3,195,673.