Digital transformation does not only have to target companies and users, it also has a wide variety of benefits to bring to research issues and public interest. An example of this is how mobile data can be part of the study and analysis of earthquakes.
you Y the National University of Colombia They made an alliance that sets an example of how these two topics have a point in common to take advantage of the data of these natural phenomena in real time.
Information that is useful, taking into account that tremors cannot be predicted, but it is possible to study and monitor them to understand telluric activity in various areas of the country.
Mobile data and earthquakes
The alliance between the two entities initially has 13 seismological stations deployed in 8 different sites in the Savannah of Bogota and its surroundings, in addition to 5 stations located within a radius of up to 20 km around Medellin, Manizales, Palmira, Valledupar and San Andres“creating a state-of-the-art observing network to monitor and analyze these natural events,” they reported.
The idea is that with this agreement, 7 more stations will be added in the areas of influence of Leticia, Puerto Asís, Turbo, Quibdó, Popayán, Puerto Carreño and Inírida.
The benefit of mobile data operates in practice as follows: when an earthquake occurs, regardless of magnitude, a series of situation reports are generated, which are key to analyzing what is happening.
Connectivity will allow experts to receive this data in seconds, which makes it possible to carry out an earthquake study in a very short time and in the event of a need, such as requesting an evacuation or generating an alert; in this way, the authorities can consult and make decisions quickly.
According to Seismological Network of the National University of Colombia (RSUNAL), each station consumes about 50 GB of data per month, depending on the sampling rate. Information that must go through the Processing and Analysis Center, located in the educational entity at its headquarters Bogota.
“Thanks to our alliance, our seismological network has access to connectivity, which allows us to access information in real time. Technology has advanced significantly in terms of data transmission in real time and thanks to this connectivity we have managed to have access to information,” he said. Carlos Vargas, director of theto RSUNAL.
The transmission of data through a Mobile Networkallows to locate the seismic event, determine its magnitude and other technical characteristics, which displays multiple opportunities to avoid social havoc in case an evacuation is necessary or also to have information on the behavior of the activity in each zone.
“Digital transformation is not something exclusive to companies and businesses. Every time, there are more examples of how the appropriate use of technology and connectivity allows better decision-making and in a timely manner in the academic, scientific and governmental spheres”, he stated. Marcelo Cataldo, President of You Colombia.
Application to predict earthquakes
Several countries, including Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru They are highly seismic, because in their location there is displacement of main tectonic plates, and these in turn are in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
An application that can help this situation is Earthquake Detector. This platform can be downloaded from free of charge from Apple Store or Google Play Store so that the mobile device can alert at intervals of 2 to 5 seconds, by sound or vibration, about an earthquake that is coming near the user.
In addition to this warning, the application will tell the exact location of the natural disaster, its magnitude, depth and even the radius of the impact.
In addition, users will also be able to access the manual run reports submitted by others and they will be able to locate their friends or relatives thanks to the Safety Check option.
