Donation
The early warning time for earthquake in Nepalese context usually ranges from a few seconds to a minute. Even though the early warning time for earthquake is quite short as compared to other disasters such as flooding, it can be useful for sensitive applications such as industry, transportation and energy, and possibly for alerting the public. Moreover, the accelerometric network deployed for this purpose also records earthquake strong motion which will have important applications in various research activities, including development of ground motion models.
Project Name: Nepal EEW (Earthquake early warning)
Duration: 2021-2025
Funded by: Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IG CAS)
Objectives/Goals: To test the feasibility of earthquake early warning system in Nepal
Geographical Coverage: Mainly focused in Gandaki region, with a few sensors in Sudurpaschim.
Partnership: Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IG CAS)
Key Activities:
The major activities of this project involved establishing accelerometers in different parts of the nation, and performing regular maintenance and data retrieval. The task of developing and improving the algorithms for the early warning also proceeded in parallel. The task of developing communication systems for communicating the early warning was beyond the scope of this project.
Key Achievement
This project demonstrated the fact that earthquake early warning is technically feasible in Nepal with current technology at a relatively low cost. With denser accelerometric network and frequent maintenance, the early warning network can function more reliably. The network also recorded several earthquakes in Western Nepal during this period, providing valuable data for research.
Lesson Learned/Challenges
The major technical challenge lies in maintaining adequate density of accelerometers in the remote regions and ensuring continuous operation. The social and cultural aspects of earthquake early warning, i.e. how the public perceives and reacts to such warning, is another major challenge, but addressing this was beyond the scope of this project.