Israeli Invents Earthquake Detector
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An Israeli invention provides early warning of earthquakes, possibly
saving untold numbers of lives.The home device is as small as a
shoebox and will cost consumers less than $200.
Israeli inventor Meir Gitlis developed the system, which has received
much attention in the wake of the disastrous earthquake which caused
tsunamis to devastate much of southeast Asia's coastline. Gitlis told
Israel21c.org that he doesn't claim his early warning system could
have made a massive difference - but clearly even the saving of one
life makes it worthwhile.
"Since the disaster occurred in the Far East, we've gotten requests
from companies to take our sensor technology and develop an
instrument against tsunamis," Gitlis said.
Gitlis's "Earthquake Alert" is based on the same seismological
principles as earthquake monitoring systems used by weather centers
and government agencies worldwide. It contains an array of pendulums
that naturally react to vibrations, sending a signal through an
electronic circuit to a chip. After analyzing the frequency, the
computer chip determines -and notifies the user - whether the
movement was caused by a sonic boom, or a bomb, or if it is indeed
the tremors of an earthquake.
"An earthquake is like lightning or thunder," Gitlis said. "First
comes the primary waves which run through the ground very quickly.
The instrument can sense the primary wave, which occurs tens of
seconds before the secondary, destructive wave. The pre-warning of a
half minute enables people to find cover."
Gitlis said that the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv - the country's
tallest buildings - have installed the Earthquake Alert in the
skyscrapers' elevators. In the event of a quake, the system will stop
the elevators at the nearest floor, allowing people a chance to
escape.
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo
tested the sensor recently and concluded that it is reliable and does
not react to false alarms.
