Ocean Bottom Seismometers Could Improve Earthquake Warning Times in Pacific Northwest

Ocean bottom seismometers could improve earthquake warning times in Pacific Northwest

If there is a magnitude 8 or 9 megathrust earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, data from ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve earthquake detection times calculated by the ShakeAlert system.

Do ocean bottom seismometers improve quake warnings?

Ocean bottom seismometers could speed detection in the Pacific Northwest For a major megathrust earthquake off the Pacific Northwest—events often associated with tsunami risk and rapid infrastructure impacts—seconds matter. A study reviewed how using ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve…

Ocean Bottom Seismometers Could Improve Earthquake Warning Times in Pacific Northwest | Seismological Society of America

16 April 2026— If there is a magnitude 8 or 9 megathrust earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, data from ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve earthquake detection times calculated by the ShakeAlert system. At the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting, Zoe Krauss said ShakeAlert’s earthquake detection time could be improved by 5 to 9 seconds by incorporating data from six cabled OBS deployed offshore Oregon as part of the Ocean Observator…