Japan phasing in its quake warning system

TOKYO-It's still beyond the reach of science to predict exactly when an earthquake will strike, but Japan will soon get the next-best thing-televised warnings that come before anyone feels the ground shake.Japan's Meteorological Agency and national broadcaster are teaming up to alert the public of earthquakes as much as 30 seconds before they hit, or at least before they can bring their full force down on populated areas.The system-the first of its kind in the world- does not predict quakes, but officials say it can give people enough time to get away from windows that could shatter, or to turn off ovens and prevent fires from razing homes.And in one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, every second counts."If we can give people enough time to take even a few steps to protect themselves before the shaking starts, it could help reduce injuries and damage," said agency spokesman Makoto Saito.The warnings, to begin in October, will be based on data provided by the Meteorological Agency, which maintains a network of sensors deep underground that estimate the intensity of a quake as soon as the ground ruptures.Alarms can go out before the shaking starts because there is a lag between the time it takes for different seismic waves to travel to the surface.Japan, which sits atop four tectonic plates, has been hit by 83 earthquakes strong enough to cause injury since March 1996, including one last month that killed 11 people and caused a fire and small radiation leak at a nuclear power plant.The warning system works by detecting primary waves, which spread from the epicenter of a quake and travel faster than the destructive shear waves.When waves of a certain intensity are detected, the alarms are set off.The national broadcaster, NHK, will relay them almost instantaneously to its television and radio audiences.

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