[LINK] PC hard disk system warns of Tsunamis

[Tom Worthington]

At 06:38 AM 9/8/2006, Howard Lowndes wrote:
><hfl>One for Tom...</hfl>
>http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/090706-pc-hard-disk-system-warns.html
>... software application that monitors vibrations in the hard disks 
>of computers in an attempt to detect the undersea earthquakes that 
>cause tsunamis ...

Sounds clever. I proposed an earthquake detector using PC mice to the 
ANU e-Science students, but they thought I was joking and no one took 
up the project:
---
"Build an open source system for detection of earthquakes using the 
movement of computer mice as digital strong-motion seismometers.

The system will consist of:

1. A program which can be downloaded into volunteers' computers, to 
detect uncommanded movements of the mouse. It will analyze movement 
of the mouse, looking for those characteristic of an earthquake, 
explosion or other large scale event. Movements due to the computer 
user pushing the mouse or bumping the desk will be filtered out.

2. A network program to collect the seismic reports. This program 
will correlate reports from nearby detectors to filter out movements 
which are localized to a small area and therefore not earthquakes.

3. An analysis program to map and report earthquakes and explosions. 
The system will alert a remote operator by SMS or MMS, of major 
events and have a web based interface.

BACKGROUND:

"Seismometers have:

    1. A frame securely affixed to the earth. The foundation is 
critical, and often the most expensive part of a seismic station.
    2. An inertial mass suspended in the frame by some method, using 
springs or gravity to establish a steady-state reference position.
    3. A damper system to prevent long term oscillations in response 
to an event.
    4. A means of recording the motion or force of the mass relative 
to the frame. ...

Another type of seismometer is a digital strong-motion seismometer, 
or accelerograph. This data is essential to understand how an 
earthquake affects human structures.

A strong-motion seismometer measures acceleration. This can be 
mathematically integrated later to give velocity and position. 
Strong-motion seismometers are not as sensitive to ground motions as 
teleseismic instruments but they stay on scale during the strongest 
seismic shaking."
From: Seismometer, Wikipedia, 2006 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismometer#Basic_principles>.

A computer mouse has a similar sensitivity to a strong-motion 
seismometer. The mouse remains stationary during sudden movements of 
the desktop under it due to an earthquake. This movement is detected 
by the mouse and interpreted by the computer as movement of the mouse.

Using existing networked computers provides a low cost way to create 
a very large seismic network, or a small network for a developing 
country. The computers in government offices could be used for a low 
cost official government network.

The system would be limited due to the need for the computers and 
network to survive the earthquake in order to be able to report on 
it. The system could also be used to detect explosions in buildings, 
providing a very fast assessment of the location and extent of an 
accident, or terrorist attack.

The system would be limited to those computers using mice (not touch 
pads in laptops) and where computers are left turned on continuously."

---

Also I suggested using the  Defence Department's JORN Radar to 
predict earthquakes in Indonesia 
<http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jan06/comments/1347>.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                http://www.tomw.net.au/
Director, ACS Communications Tech Board   http://www.acs.org.au/ctb/
Visiting Fellow, ANU      Blog: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/atom.xml