#Earthquake! Tweets Beat Official Quake Alerts

[Britton30]

The fastest earthquake alerts come from social media networks, not the U.S Geological Survey's seismic underground sensors, ongoing research finds.
As soon as the Earth starts rumbling, Twitter users flood the network with pithy, publicly available tweets that the USGS uses to pinpoint an earthquake's source in less than a minute, according to findings presented May 2 at the Seismological Society of America's annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Without Twitter, it takes the USGS anywhere from two to 20 minutes to precisely locate an earthquake and judge its size with seismometers, which are instruments that monitor ground motion.

Source

Source 2

 

[Anak]

So, what's the point of tracking these tweets?

Source 1: #Earthquake! Tweets Beat Official Quake Alerts | LiveScience

It's another tool in USGS's arsenal.

It would also help if USGS could reduce the 10% error rate and figure out a way to add those tweets to their Did you feel it? (dyfi) database, because I'd be willing to wager up to 95% of people that tweet about an eartquake don't know about or wouldn't have the inclination to add it personally to the dyfi database.

There was one last week on the Va, N.C. border. One again in both So. Cal. and Mexico today, and Oklahoma continues to get hit daily. The USGS, and Oklahoma Geological agencies are studying to see if its due to Fracking.

The joint statement indicates that a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is wastewater disposal by injection into deep geologic formations. The water injection can increase underground pressures, lubricate faults and cause earthquakes – a process known as injection-induced seismicity. Much of this wastewater is a byproduct of oil and gas production and is routinely disposed of by injection into wells specifically designed and approved for this purpose. The recent earthquake rate changes are not due to typical, random fluctuations in natural seismicity rates.

Source: USGS Release: Record Number of Oklahoma Tremors Raises Possibility of Damaging Earthquakes (5/5/2014 11:30:00 AM)

Recent Quakes:

I am slightly surprised that the USGS is doing something about this, though notice the report states likely.

The current gang down in foggy bottom is more worried about personal prestige and longevity in office when in fact they are kowtowing to big money and lobbying, they just might bring the current USGS Acting Director, Suzette Kimball up on charges that she is being unpatriotic to their accustomed lifestyle.