Very few people get to safety after hearing Google's earthquake warnings

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-08-28 14:00

New Zealand

Google

New Zealanders think earthquake early warning systems are helpful, but they often don't know enough about them to use them effectively, new research suggests. In a survey of 3000 Kiwis, researchers found that most people didn't take protective actions in response to the alerts - they either waited, informed others, or sought more information. The authors also say confusion about who is sending the alerts, and whether they are warning of serious quakes or light shaking, could lead to a feeling that they are "crying wolf" and a loss of trust in the system.

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Journal/
conference: Frontiers in Communication

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Massey University

Funder: The authors acknowledge the following funding sources: Te Hiranga Rū - QuakeCoRE a Tertiary Education Commission initiative (QuakeCoRE publication number 0783); and Kia manawaroa - Ngā Akinā o Te Ao Turoā (Resilience to Nature’s Challenges - National Science Challenge).

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