To enhance public safety in the face of earthquake threats, the Guangdong Earthquake Agency has rolled out the "Nanyue Earthquake Early Warning (南粤地震预警, Nányuè Dìzhèn Yùjǐng)" WeChat mini-program. The tool is set to keep residents informed and prepared during seismic events.
The mini-program employs a well-defined strategy for issuing earthquake early warnings. During the public testing phase, warnings are triggered for earthquakes within Guangdong's borders with a magnitude of ≥3.5 or an epicentral intensity of ≥4 degrees.
For quakes occurring within 150 kilometers outside the province, the thresholds are a magnitude of ≥4.0 or an epicentral intensity of ≥5 degrees. Even earthquakes beyond this 150-kilometer range, with a magnitude of ≥6.0 or an epicentral intensity of ≥8 degrees, will prompt the release of warnings.
Recent earthquake early warnings.
Response strategies are tailored to the severity of the estimated intensity. When it is less than 2 degrees, warnings are only shown on the mini-program's homepage. At ≥2 degrees, users receive real-time alerts via WeChat's "Service Notifications." When the intensity hits or exceeds 5 degrees, an alarm sounds even if the phone is asleep.
The mini-program also offers specific guidance based on the estimated warning time. For instance, with a 3-second warning, indoors, individuals should seek shelter under sturdy objects like tables or beside beds, while outdoors, they should move away from buildings. A 5-second warning calls for evacuation to open spaces.
With a 10-second warning, those on the first or second floors should evacuate to the outside, and with a 15-second warning, people on lower floors should leave the building, while those on higher floors should find nearby shelter.
Users can set multiple monitored locations, such as relatives' homes or travel destinations, in addition to the default location based on their WeChat-enabled position. The mini-program then pushes relevant warnings and offers avoidance guidance based on the current location when entering the earthquake warning page.
On June 23, a 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit Qingyuan's Qingcheng District in Guangdong, with strong tremors felt in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A Guangdong Earthquake Observatory expert explained the reasons behind the strong sensations, such as the earthquake's proximity to major cities, shallow focal depth, and the area's sedimentary layer and high-rise building characteristics.
The center also judged that overall seismic activity is normal, and the chance of a magnitude 5+ earthquake in the original area soon is low.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Photo | Guangdong Earthquake Agency
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
