A new earthquake alert program may also warn you of an eruption at Mount Rainier

After launching statewide last week, ShakeAlert can now warn Washington residents when an earthquake is about to hit their area.

This early warning system could be of particular value to plateau dwellers, as Mount Rainier can transform from a majestic backdrop to a machine of destruction and death within minutes, due to (or causing) an earthquake.

The ShakeAlert System, operated by the US Geological Survey and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, does not anticipate when earthquakes are about to happen. Instead, the system quickly detects earthquakes already in progress, including estimating earthquake magnitude and location, and provides alerts to cell phones.

According to the Washington Military Department, this could give ordinary folks seconds of advance notice of an earthquake – enough time to “drop, cover, and hold on” to protect themselves.

The department wrote: “Since the majority of earthquake-related injuries are caused by people hitting objects falling or falling while in motion during shaking, seconds of warning will allow people to take precautionary measures before shaking begins, reducing the chance of injury.” In a press release. “The system also has the ability to automatically close water valves to protect the water supply, raise fire station doors so first responders can take out vehicles and equipment, slow trains so they don’t get derailed, and even warn hospitals against stopping surgeries, among many other capabilities. One of the pilot projects in Washington is already testing this technology to reduce earthquake damage. ”

Many mobile phone users may not have to change their phone settings in order to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), although it is recommended that users double check their phone settings to ensure they are able to receive these alerts. The “How-to” for Android, iPhone, and other mobile phone users is included at the end of this article.

Mountain rain and earthquakes

Harold Tobin, director of seismology for the Pacific Northwest, said earthquakes happen all the time around Washington and the West Coast in general – we just don’t feel them.

Mount Rainier is no exception. In fact, it appears to be one of, if not most, earthquake-prone volcanoes in the PNSN network, which stretches from Washington to California.

For example, the volcano has seen 22 earthquakes in the last 30 days as of May 5, and the largest reading was 1.2 on the strength scale, according to pnsn.org. The US Geological Survey says that “a few hundred” earthquakes are detected each year near the Rainier, “more than any other Cascades Arc volcano except for Mount St. Helens.”

Tobin said these small earthquakes wouldn’t make ShakeAlert send an alert to the residents of Enumclaw, or anyone else living in the mountain’s shadow; The alert threshold ranges from 4.5 or 5.0 on the Richter scale, depending on the phone receiving the earthquake alerts.

In fact, most Rainier earthquakes likely will not be recorded with ShakeAlert, given that the largest earthquake recorded under the volcano was only 3.9 on the Richter scale in 1973, with similar earthquakes reported in 76, 90, 2002 and 2004.

But neither of these earthquakes coincides with a volcanic eruption or another major volcanic event like Lahar, and both could be triggered by – or triggered by – an earthquake large enough to send a notice via ShakeAlert.

“You can speculate that a large eruption in the past might have caused a large earthquake,” Tobin said. “The only analogy that I’m saying we have is what happened to Mount St. Helens.”

According to the USGS, the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 was preceded by a magnitude 5 + earthquake – one of many signs that the volcano is about to erupt.

However, Tobin stressed that not every eruption, or even most volcanic eruptions, foreshadow a major earthquake.

“Many volcanic eruptions do not produce a large amount [earthquake]It blows up without any earthquakes large enough for ShakeAlert’s system.

What about “the great”?

If you’ve lived in western Washington for a while, you’ve likely heard of “The Big One” – an earthquake that some experts believe will settle the West Coast.

“Our operational assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast,” said Kenneth Murphy in a 2015 New Yorker article about the supposed earthquake. Murphy is the director of FEMA’s X Area, which covers Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

While the New Yorker article has received some criticism for how it framed “The Big One,” experts generally agree on some things, such as that this future earthquake will originate in what is known as the Cascadia subduction zone off the west coast of the United States.

PNSN and other organizations call this a “giant” fault line, as it is able to produce earthquakes of magnitude 9. Japan was hit by such an earthquake in 2011; It caused a 130-foot-high tsunami, directly causing the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to collapse, killing nearly 20,000 people, and causing an estimated $ 235 billion in damage, according to the World Bank.

But how would such an earthquake affect Mount Rainier?

“There is some evidence of at least a time correlation between some very, very large earthquakes – the very few earthquakes in the world that have occurred on a scale of 9 degrees – that are related in time to eruptions of nearby volcanoes,” Tobin said, referring to the massive Valdivia earthquake in Chile in May 22, 1960.

Also known as the Great Chilean Earthquake, it was the strongest earthquake ever reported since scientists began recording earthquake magnitudes. It is widely believed to have triggered an eruption at the Cordon Coli volcano, sending a column of ash 8 kilometers or 5 miles high.

(For comparison, the ash plume at Mount St. Helens was 19 km, or 12 miles, high.)

“However – and there are a lot of factors – … many, many large earthquakes on the planet have not been associated with volcanic eruptions. And I would say that the best scientific understanding of volcanoes work is that you still need a volcano to be ready and ready to go, and maybe an earthquake is the trigger.” That pushes him to the edge, “Tobin continued. “While it is not unreasonable that the eruption of a Cascade volcano such as Mount Rainier could be caused by a major earthquake, it is also a very remote possibility, and it is very unlikely, I say.”

How to get a checklist

Android Phones:

First, use the search function in “settings” to find “emergency alerts” or “public safety messages”. You may have to click on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, click on Settings and click on Alert types. If you cannot find “emergency alerts” by searching in “settings,” try searching for “emergency alerts” in the text messaging app instead. You may have to click on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, click on Settings and click on Alert types.

Apple Phones:

Click “Settings”> “Notifications”, scroll to the bottom of the screen. Under “Government Alerts”, click on “Emergency Alerts” and “Public Safety Alerts” to turn them on or off.

Other phones:

To check if wireless emergency alerts are turned on for other types of phones, contact your mobile operator and / or the mobile phone manufacturer’s website for additional information. If you have already received AMBER alerts, you may receive these alerts as well. But it is not guaranteed because phones use different settings. Ask about emergency alerts or public safety alerts.

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