[ad_1]
Some residents in northern San Luis Obispo County felt a magnitude 3.5 earthquake Wednesday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had prepared warnings and immediate information, but the agency said self-reporting by local residents could also help provide additional information.
“I think one of the things that we collect that’s really important is the human experience,” said Robert de Groot, a spokesperson for the USGS Shake Alert System.
While the science exists to measure earthquakes in detail with advanced equipment and the Shake Alert Earthquake Early Warning System, self-reporting helps the USGS prepare in other ways.
“We can use this to better understand how we create messages about how people should protect themselves. Another really important point is that people are We are in far more places than we are set up,” de Groot said.
For Atascadero residents, the earthquake that struck 17 miles northeast of Paso Robles at 6:01 a.m. Wednesday was strong enough to be noticed.
“At first I thought I was dreaming,” said local resident Michael Rowley. “When I woke up a little more, I felt my bed shake slightly.”
Some people have heard about it from co-workers or pets.
“I didn’t feel the earthquake, but I think my dog did because he woke me up just this morning around 6 o’clock,” Phil Dunsmore said. “When I came to the office, a staff member asked me if I felt an earthquake.” Because I felt an earthquake. ”
Many did not feel it at all or did not even know about it.
“I didn’t feel the earthquake. I only heard about it a few minutes ago,” said another Atascadero resident.
De Groot says there are several factors that can cause you to feel a weak earthquake.
“When you’re reading a book or studying, you can feel tiny vibrations, but when you’re doing something or moving from one place to another, you can feel the slightest vibration. You may not even feel it,” he said. .
Your location can also play a role, says De Groot. He said California experiences 50 earthquakes a day, many of which can be felt, but some of which cannot.
If you feel an earthquake or a future earthquake, you can self-report your experience on the USGS website.
[ad_2]
Source link
