Smartphones as Earthquake detectors

MyShake is a free app for Android phones that has the ability to recognize earthquake shaking using the sensors in every smartphone. The app runs “silently” in the background on your phone using very little power – just like the step-tracking fitness apps. When the shaking fits the vibrational profile of an earthquake, the app sends the anonymous information to the central system that confirms the location and magnitude of the quake.
The app has now been downloaded over 200,000 times. Enabled phones have recorded hundreds of quakes all over the globe since then - some as small as magnitude 2.5.
The goal is to build a worldwide seismic network and use the data to reduce the effects of earthquakes on us as individuals, and our society as a whole. MyShake also provides users with information about recent earthquakes around the world and significant global historical earthquakes.
There are some very good earthquake-related Earthlearningideas - use the search engine or index on our website.