Cyberinfrastructure Bringing Seismology Into Homes and Schools
The Quake Catcher Network (QCN) will soon employ existing
networked laptops and desktops to form the world's largest high-density,
distributed computing seismic network. Costs for this network will be low
compared to traditional networks because the QCN will use 1) strong motion sensors (accelerometers) already
internal to many laptops and 2) nearly identical low-cost universal serial bus
(USB) accelerometers for use with desktops. The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for
Network Computing (BOINC!) provides a free, proven paradigm for involving the
public in large-scale computational research projects. As evidenced by the
SETI@home program and others, individuals are especially willing to donate their
unused computing power to projects that they deem relevant, worthwhile, and
educational. The client- and server-side software rapidly monitors incoming
seismic signals, detects the magnitudes and locations of significant earthquakes,
and may even provide early warnings to other computers and users before they can
feel the earthquake.
The open-source software will provide the client-user with a screen-saver displaying seismic data recorded on their laptop, recently detected earthquakes, and general information about earthquakes and the geosciences. Furthermore, this project will install USB sensors in K-12 classrooms as an educational tool for teaching science. Through a variety of interactive experiments students will learn about earthquakes and the hazards earthquakes pose. For example, students can learn how the vibrations of an earthquake decrease with distance by jumping up and down at increasing distances from the sensor and plotting the decreased amplitude of the seismic signal measured on their computer. We hope to include an audio component so that students can hear and better understand the difference between low and high frequency seismic signals. The QCN will provide a natural way to engage students and the public in earthquake detection and research.