Towards Global Earthquake Early Warning with the MyShake Smartphone Seismic Network Part 1 -- Detection algorithm and simulation platform

TL;DR

This paper introduces a network detection algorithm for the MyShake smartphone seismic network and a simulation platform to evaluate earthquake detection performance across different global regions.

Contribution

It presents a novel network detection algorithm based on modified DBSCAN and a simulation platform for testing earthquake scenarios worldwide.

Findings

Algorithm successfully detects earthquakes in real data

Simulation platform models earthquake detection in diverse regions

System demonstrates potential for large-scale earthquake early warning

Abstract

The MyShake project aims to build a global smartphone seismic network to facilitate large-scale earthquake early warning and other applications by leveraging the power of crowdsourcing. The MyShake mobile application first detects earthquake shaking on a single phone. The earthquake is then confirmed on the MyShake servers using a "network detection" algorithm that is activated by multiple single-phone detections. In this part one of the two paper series, we present a network detection algorithm and a simulation platform to test earthquake scenarios at various locations around the world. The proposed network detection algorithm is built on the DBSCAN classic spatial clustering algorithm, with modifications to take temporal characteristics into account and the association of new triggers. We test our network detection algorithm using real data recorded by MyShake users during the M4.4 January 4th, 2018, Berkeley and the M5.2 June 10th, 2016, Borrego Springs earthquakes to demonstrate the system's utility. In order to test the entire detection procedure and to understand the first order performance of MyShake in various locations around the world representing different population and tectonic characteristics, we then present a software platform which can simulate earthquake triggers in hypothetical MyShake networks. Part two of this paper series explores our MyShake early warning simulation performance in selected regions around the world.