When every second counts…
Scientists can’t yet reliably predict an earthquake, but the sooner we know they’re happening, the better we can prepare.
UVic’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is on the job. Thanks to new funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, ONC will soon be adding seven new GPS sensor stations on the seafloor off Vancouver Island to monitor slow-slip tectonic movement.
The new GPS stations—among the first of their kind to work underwater—will communicate acoustically with an autonomous surface vehicle, or glider, which will transmit information to ONC in real time.
ONC operates world-leading cabled ocean observatories off southern BC. More than 5,000 sensors are connected to the internet and are continuously sending data in real time from a range of ocean environments.
ONC is the only organization in Canada that operates internet-connected earthquake sensors offshore.
Together with ONC’s other ocean and land-based instruments, the deep-sea sensor network will help scientists advance earthquake research and better understand the hazards in this high seismic risk region.
Once completed, ONC’s early warning system will provide seconds to minutes for us to prepare. A lot can be done in a few seconds—automatic systems can slow trains, shut down gas lines, halt surgeries and ground elevators. People can find a safe place to drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops.
“ONC data can help us make decisions when seconds count,” says ONC President Kate Moran. “It’s a direct benefit to the community in terms of early warning potential.”