Maren Böse

Earthquake early warning (EEW) systems that deliver real-time alerts to the public are now operating in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. An independent system is operated by national seismological agencies in each country. The EEW systems were developed through the Alerta Temprana de Terremotos en América Central (ATTAC) project, a multi-year collaboration (2016–2024) led by ETH Zurich and funded by the Swiss Development Agency. These landmark systems are unique as they provide operational EEW in several low- and middle-income countries. Each system uses the same ETHZ-SED SeisComP EEW software that implements the virtual seismologist (VS) and finite-fault rupture detector (FinDer) algorithms. The national seismic monitoring infrastructures are supported by 72 EEW-ready strong-motion stations. Public alerts are disseminated primarily via a mobile application that has over one million users. EEW performance is regionally consistent due to shared real-time seismic data and common system architecture. Our evaluation period started when the software was installed and included periods of network and software optimization. The VS algorithm achieved an overall accuracy of 89%. Including FinDer reduced accuracy to 77%, mainly due to false positives in Nicaragua and Costa Rica that occurred early in the evaluation window. First alerts are generally available 10 s after origin time for shallow onshore events, with location and magnitude errors typically below 30 km and 0.5 units, respectively. Mobile alerting has proven effective in providing low-latency alerts to increasingly large numbers of users, with most users receiving red alerts within 2–8 s after issuance, though some variability can occur. Maintaining and enhancing EEW in the region requires sustained investment in seismic infrastructure, trained personnel, and dissemination solutions that, for the short term at least, will include the mobile application. Long-term viability depends on stable governance, consistent funding, and strengthened and coordinated public guidance on how to respond to alerts.

The Increasing Earthquake Awareness in Switzerland project set out to connect students, teachers, and the wider public with earthquake science by reviving and extending the nationwide seismo@school initiative. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) AGORA programme, the project developed a suite of multilingual teaching resources, deployed near real-time seismic sensors in schools, and created hands-on activities such as the Lambda Slinky Seismometer kit to engage 12- to 18-year-olds. Although Switzerland is exposed to only moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes remain the natural hazard with the highest damage potential. Because most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, educational programmes play a crucial role in raising awareness and strengthening preparedness. Moreover, seismo@school initiatives can inspire younger generations to pursue geosciences by helping them appreciate the relevance of the field. This article presents the rationale, implementation, and impact of the project, and may serve as a guide for other countries seeking to develop similar initiatives. It examines how experiential, data-driven educational approaches can improve earthquake awareness and preparedness in moderate-hazard regions, how school-based seismometers benefit both teaching and scientific monitoring while considering the practical challenges of installation and operation, and what institutional and policy conditions are required to sustain such efforts over the long term.

The 5 December 2024 Mw 7.0 Offshore Cape Mendocino earthquake was a challenging test of the U.S. West Coast ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system due to its offshore epicenter and limited near-source station coverage. We analyzed real-time performance of all components of the ShakeAlert system, including the seismic algorithms (earthquake point-source integrated code [EPIC] and Finite-fault rupture Detector [FinDer]), the geodetic algorithm (Geodetic First Approximation of Size and Time–peak ground displacement [GFAST-PGD]), and network telemetry during the event. EPIC created the first solution for this earthquake 15 s after origin time with an initial magnitude estimate of M 5.6 and location error of 10 km from the Advanced National Seismic System epicenter. An early spurious trigger from station CE.89101 fortuitously maintained location accuracy and, correspondingly, magnitude accuracy. FinDer contributed its first solution at 18 s with a location estimate closer to the seismic network and produced two distinct rupture geometries, leading to minor fluctuations in estimated intensity contours. GFAST-PGD did not meet alerting thresholds but otherwise performed as expected. Network latencies were <2 s for most stations, supporting the rapid detection of this earthquake by the system. Roughly five million alerts were delivered to cell phone devices in California and Oregon during this event. This was also the first instance of a school district-wide ShakeAlert-powered system being activated. Comparisons to recorded seismograms demonstrate that the maximum warning times before potentially damaging shaking (intensity 6+) were in the range of 5–55 s. Although the ShakeAlert system provided accurate solutions and useful alert delivery, this earthquake raised awareness of potential issues within the system, including the need for improved offshore location estimates, a combination of solutions from ShakeAlert servers, and handling of spurious triggers.

The Increasing Earthquake Awareness in Switzerland project set out to connect students, teachers, and the wider public with earthquake science by reviving and extending the nationwide seismo@school initiative. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) AGORA programme, the project developed a suite of multilingual teaching resources, deployed near real-time seismic sensors in schools, and created hands-on activities to foster engagement of 12 to 18-year-olds. Although Switzerland is exposed to only moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes remain the natural hazard with the highest potential impact. Because most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, educational programmes play a crucial role in raising awareness and strengthening preparedness. Moreover, seismo@school initiatives can inspire younger generations to pursue geosciences by helping them appreciate the relevance of the field. This article presents the rationale, implementation, and impact of the project, and may serve as a guide for other countries seeking to develop similar initiatives. It examines how experiential, data-driven educational approaches can improve earthquake awareness and preparedness in moderate-hazard regions, how school-based seismometers benefit both teaching and scientific monitoring while considering the practical challenges of installation and operation, and what institutional and policy conditions are required to sustain such efforts over the long term.

EEW is in operation in many places around the globe, but no country in Europe currently offers a public alert system despite significant seismic risk. Recently, the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich, in collaboration with local agencies, has rolled out public EEW systems across Central America using their internally developed algorithms and mobile phone application. The ETH-SED SeisComP EEW (ESE) system consists of two algorithms - the point source Virtual Seismologist (VS) and the Finite fault rupture detector (Finder). The mobile phone application relies on Firecloud messaging and Apple Push Notifications and is available for Android and iOS users. It has proven reliable to send low-latency alerts to several hundred of thousand users.We are currently installing and testing the ESE system in Europe in countries where the earthquake hazard ranges from moderate (Switzerland-SED) to high (Greece-NOA, Romania-NIEP, Croatia-UniZG). Here, we present the developments undertaken over the last year in those countries and report on the algorithm performance and alert distribution for recent events. We discuss the remaining challenges and communication strategies towards public release.This work has benefited from funding within the TRANSFORM² project, European Commission project number 101188365 (HORIZON-INFRA-2024-DEV-01-01 call); and from the Seconds Matter project, SNSF-MAPS project numbers IZ11Z0230881 and F-RO-CH-2024-0263.

Nepal is located in one of the most seismically active regions of the globe, where a major earthquake is long overdue, yet much of the existing building stock remains highly vulnerable to collapse during intense ground shaking. Public engagement in earthquake preparedness is a vital aspect of reducing casualties and limiting structural damage, with education playing a significant role in shaping both individual and collective protective behaviours. In honour of the 10th anniversary of the devastating, the 2015 M_w 7.9 Gorkha earthquake, an Earthquake Learning Exhibition was organized in Pokhara, Nepal, to improve students' knowledge of earthquakes, risk perception, and preparedness. The event showcased fourteen interactive modules that explored earthquake science, causes, and safety measures, engaging nearly 2000 participants mostly at age 11 to 17. Pre and post-event surveys indicated notable advancements in scientific understanding, with 93 % of students identifying plate tectonics as the primary cause of earthquakes, and 95 % recognizing their vulnerability to events exceeding a magnitude of 8. Students exhibited increased awareness of structural vulnerabilities, local seismic risks, and the likelihood of experiencing a major earthquake in their lifetime. A significant 85 % of those surveyed rated the exhibition positively, with 98 % reporting enhanced preparedness, and many indicated plans to share knowledge within their communities, suggesting a ripple effect in disaster preparedness. The exhibition has proven to be an effective and replicable model for integrating interactive learning with community-based preparedness. Recommendations include long-term follow-up and the expansion of teacher training to ensure the sustainability and amplification of its impact.

The Increasing Earthquake Awareness in Switzerland project set out to connect students, teachers, and the wider public with earthquake science by reviving and extending the nationwide seismo@school initiative. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) AGORA programme, the project developed a suite of multilingual teaching resources, deployed near real-time seismic sensors in schools, and created hands-on activities to foster engagement of 12 to 18-year-olds. Although Switzerland is exposed to only moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes remain the natural hazard with the highest potential impact. Because most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, educational programmes play a crucial role in raising awareness and strengthening preparedness. Moreover, seismo@school initiatives can inspire younger generations to pursue geosciences by helping them appreciate the relevance of the field. This article presents the rationale, implementation, and impact of the project, and may serve as a guide for other countries seeking to develop similar initiatives. It examines how experiential, data-driven educational approaches can improve earthquake awareness and preparedness in moderate-hazard regions, how school-based seismometers benefit both teaching and scientific monitoring while considering the practical challenges of installation and operation, and what institutional and policy conditions are required to sustain such efforts over the long term.

The Increasing Earthquake Awareness in Switzerland project set out to connect students, teachers, and the wider public with earthquake science by reviving and extending the nationwide seismo@school initiative. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) AGORA programme, the project developed a suite of multilingual teaching resources, deployed near real-time seismic sensors in schools, and created hands-on activities to foster engagement of 12 to 18-year-olds. Although Switzerland is exposed to only moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes remain the natural hazard with the highest potential impact. Because most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, educational programmes play a crucial role in raising awareness and strengthening preparedness. Moreover, seismo@school initiatives can inspire younger generations to pursue geosciences by helping them appreciate the relevance of the field. This article presents the rationale, implementation, and impact of the project, and may serve as a guide for other countries seeking to develop similar initiatives. It examines how experiential, data-driven educational approaches can improve earthquake awareness and preparedness in moderate-hazard regions, how school-based seismometers benefit both teaching and scientific monitoring while considering the practical challenges of installation and operation, and what institutional and policy conditions are required to sustain such efforts over the long term.

The Increasing Earthquake Awareness in Switzerland project set out to connect students, teachers, and the wider public with earthquake science by reviving and extending the nationwide seismo@school initiative. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) AGORA programme, the project developed a suite of multilingual teaching resources, deployed near real-time seismic sensors in schools, and created hands-on activities to foster engagement of 12 to 18-year-olds. Although Switzerland is exposed to only moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes remain the natural hazard with the highest potential impact. Because most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, educational programmes play a crucial role in raising awareness and strengthening preparedness. Moreover, seismo@school initiatives can inspire younger generations to pursue geosciences by helping them appreciate the relevance of the field. This article presents the rationale, implementation, and impact of the project, and may serve as a guide for other countries seeking to develop similar initiatives. It examines how experiential, data-driven educational approaches can improve earthquake awareness and preparedness in moderate-hazard regions, how school-based seismometers benefit both teaching and scientific monitoring while considering the practical challenges of installation and operation, and what institutional and policy conditions are required to sustain such efforts over the long term.

Nepal is located in one of the most seismically active regions on the globe, where a major earthquake is long overdue, yet much of the existing building stock remains highly vulnerable to collapse during intense ground shaking. Public engagement in earthquake preparedness is a vital aspect of reducing casualties and limiting structural damage, with education playing a significant role in shaping both individual and collective protective behaviours. In honour of the 10th anniversary of the devastating, magnitude 7.9 2015 Gorkha earthquake, an Earthquake Learning Exhibition was organized in Pokhara, Nepal, to improve students' knowledge of earthquakes, risk perception, and preparedness. The event showcased fourteen interactive modules that explored earthquake science, causes, and safety measures, engaging nearly 2,000 participants at age 11 to 17. Pre and post-event surveys indicated notable advancements in scientific understanding, with 93 % of students identifying plate tectonics as the primary cause of earthquakes, and 95 % recognizing their vulnerability to events exceeding a magnitude of 8. Students exhibited increased awareness of structural vulnerabilities, local seismic risks, and the likelihood of experiencing a major earthquake in their lifetime. A significant 85 % of those surveyed rated the exhibition positively, with 98 % reporting enhanced preparedness, and many indicated plans to share knowledge within their communities, suggesting a ripple effect in disaster preparedness. The exhibition has proven to be an effective and replicable model for integrating interactive learning with community-based preparedness. Recommendations include long-term follow-up and the expansion of teacher training to ensure the sustainability and amplification of its impact.