New technology will also help to ascertain magnitude,epicentre of tremors; develop an early warning system

Concerned over the recurring tremors after the 2001 earthquake, mainly in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, the Gandhinagar-based Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) has decided to further strengthen its Gujarat State Seismic Network (GS-Net). The Institute plans to detect seismic activities faster than present.

The ISR has decided to acquire a specially-designed software from Germany and also install an “auto location programme” to detect earthquakes within seconds and develop an early warning system. This technology will help the institute not only detect earthquakes within seconds, but also ascertain their magnitude and epicentres quickly.

“At present, the reporting of tremors is done within 10 minutes of the arrival of seismic waves after analysing the online seismic data. Once the auto location programme equipped with the imported software is in place, we will be able to detect the exact location and magnitude of such tremors or even earthquakes within 10 seconds and issue an early warning to major vulnerable cities like Ahmedabad,” said ISR Director General B K Rastogi.

Rastogi told Newsline that under the existing seismic network, there are as many as 20 broadband seismological stations (BBS), including eight in the Kutch “active” region, which are connected via VSAT, and the data comes online to central data centre at the ISR near Gandhinagar. Also, 50 strong motion accelerographs (SMAs) have been installed under this network. In addition to this, about 30 offline broadband seismographs have been installed in different parts of Gujarat.

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