Crowdsourcing Felt Reports using the MyShake smartphone app

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that citizen-reported felt shaking data collected via the MyShake app correlates strongly with USGS intensity reports, enabling the generation of reliable shaking maps using simple user input.

Contribution

The study validates the use of MyShake app reports as a cost-effective, scalable method for mapping earthquake shaking intensity, comparable to traditional survey-based approaches.

Findings

Strong correlation between MyShake felt reports and USGS intensity data

MyShake reports can be used to generate accurate shaking intensity maps

Citizen science data complements traditional earthquake monitoring methods

Abstract

MyShake is a free citizen science smartphone app that provides a range of features related to earthquakes. Features available globally include rapid post-earthquake notifications, live maps of earthquake damage as reported by MyShake users, safety tips and various educational features. The app also uses the accelerometer to detect earthquake shaking and to record and submit waveforms to a central archive. In addition, MyShake delivers earthquake early warning alerts in California, Oregon and Washington. In this study we compare the felt shaking reports provided by MyShake users in California with the US Geological Survey's "Did You Feel It?" intensity reports. The MyShake app simply asks "What strength of shaking did you feel" and users report on a five-level scale. When the reports are averaged in spatial bins, we find strong correlations with the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale values reported by the USGS based on the much more complex DYFI surveys. The MyShake felt reports can therefore also be used to generate shaking intensity maps.