Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has developed an earthquake quick alarm system and put it into practical use for Shinkansen. By this early warning system, we can estimate the location of epicenter and magnitude and judge whether the quake is dangerous for railways in a short period of time after the detection of P wave. Since new knowledge of seismology and the latest network technologies are introduced, this system has multipurpose functions. In addition, by making use of the earthquake early warning information that is distributed by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), we are able to improve the performance of earthquake disaster prevention. This papers reports an outline of the system.

Copyright (c) 2004 Railway Technical Research Institute