National Observatory sees no sign of earthquake announced by Google
The Brazilian Seismographic Network did not detect any seismic events off the Brazilian coast in the early hours of Friday morning (Feb. 14). Two Google alerts for supposed earthquakes in the sea, 55 km from Ubatuba, on the coast of São Paulo, were sent to cell phones with Android operating systems belonging to residents of the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. However, there is no record of any seismic activity in the region.
The network is coordinated by the National Observatory of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as international seismic monitoring institutions.
The lack of records confirms that the alert issued by the Android system was false.
“An earthquake with a magnitude greater than four or five would be readily detected by seismographic stations in Brazil and on international networks. So this warning is not accurate. Google's Android system relies on the accelerometer in cell phones to pick up signs of tremors, but it seems that the calibration for Brazil may not be set correctly, which could result in incorrect alerts. The [Seismographic Network's] seismometers are sensitive enough to register tremors with magnitudes below two, for example. Therefore, they would have recorded this earthquake if it had actually occurred,” explained Sergio Fontes, network coordinator and researcher at the National Observatory.
According to the Seismographic Network, cell phone accelerometers, used by Google’s detection system, are sensors that are sensitive to sudden movements and can generate undue alerts if they are not correctly adjusted to the local geological context. This type of technology has the potential to complement official monitoring, but still faces challenges in avoiding false alarms, especially in regions without high seismicity such as Brazil.
The network continuously monitors seismic activity in the country and stressed that official information on earthquakes can be consulted on the network’s website and through its communication channels. To ensure access to accurate data, the public should always check reliable sources before sharing information about possible seismic events.
