Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System

We initiated an earthquake reporting project in 2016 to collect field observations of ground damages caused by large earthquakes from trained volunteers and interested citizens. After a potentially damaging earthquake occurs in the Taiwan area, our system, the Taiwan scientific earthquake reporting...

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Main Authors: Wen-Tzong Liang, Jian-Cheng Lee, Nai-Chi Hsiao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Earth Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2019.00079/full
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author Wen-Tzong Liang
Jian-Cheng Lee
Nai-Chi Hsiao
author_facet Wen-Tzong Liang
Jian-Cheng Lee
Nai-Chi Hsiao
author_sort Wen-Tzong Liang
collection DOAJ
description We initiated an earthquake reporting project in 2016 to collect field observations of ground damages caused by large earthquakes from trained volunteers and interested citizens. After a potentially damaging earthquake occurs in the Taiwan area, our system, the Taiwan scientific earthquake reporting system (TSER), would send a notice to the participants, who are encouraged to visit the epicentral area to survey and describe in as much detail as possible the variations of the ground damages using a Usahidi-based mapping platform. They may also upload relevant images in the field when the condition permitted (i.e., good mobile signal). This collective information will be shared with the public after a quick check by the on-duty scientists. Statistically, in Taiwan damaging inland earthquakes, e.g., magnitude greater than 6, occurred every 2–3 years. During the intermittent time, the platform serves to share educational materials such as pictures of geological structures and landscapes, which are beneficial to many of the volunteers, who are high school science teachers. This experimental, science-oriented crowdsourcing system was first tested during the February 6, 2018 Mw 6.4 offshore Hualien, Taiwan earthquake. We received 19 field reports in the first 3 days after the earthquake. Most of these reports provided surface damage details along the Milun fault, which also ruptured during the 1951 ML 7.1 Longitudinal Valley earthquake sequence. The crowdsourcing approach of TSER has proven to be effective in enhancing public awareness and the potential for scientific advancement in hazard mitigation.
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spelling doaj.art-9c349e04da8e4c279e4d37966d6d16fe2022-12-21T20:36:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632019-04-01710.3389/feart.2019.00079439187Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) SystemWen-Tzong Liang0Jian-Cheng Lee1Nai-Chi Hsiao2Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, TaiwanInstitute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, TaiwanSeismological Center, Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, TaiwanWe initiated an earthquake reporting project in 2016 to collect field observations of ground damages caused by large earthquakes from trained volunteers and interested citizens. After a potentially damaging earthquake occurs in the Taiwan area, our system, the Taiwan scientific earthquake reporting system (TSER), would send a notice to the participants, who are encouraged to visit the epicentral area to survey and describe in as much detail as possible the variations of the ground damages using a Usahidi-based mapping platform. They may also upload relevant images in the field when the condition permitted (i.e., good mobile signal). This collective information will be shared with the public after a quick check by the on-duty scientists. Statistically, in Taiwan damaging inland earthquakes, e.g., magnitude greater than 6, occurred every 2–3 years. During the intermittent time, the platform serves to share educational materials such as pictures of geological structures and landscapes, which are beneficial to many of the volunteers, who are high school science teachers. This experimental, science-oriented crowdsourcing system was first tested during the February 6, 2018 Mw 6.4 offshore Hualien, Taiwan earthquake. We received 19 field reports in the first 3 days after the earthquake. Most of these reports provided surface damage details along the Milun fault, which also ruptured during the 1951 ML 7.1 Longitudinal Valley earthquake sequence. The crowdsourcing approach of TSER has proven to be effective in enhancing public awareness and the potential for scientific advancement in hazard mitigation.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2019.00079/fullcrowdsourcingearthquake triggered geohazardsTaiwan seismicitycitizen seismologyseismic disaster reduction
spellingShingle Wen-Tzong Liang
Jian-Cheng Lee
Nai-Chi Hsiao
Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
Frontiers in Earth Science
crowdsourcing
earthquake triggered geohazards
Taiwan seismicity
citizen seismology
seismic disaster reduction
title Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
title_full Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
title_fullStr Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
title_full_unstemmed Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
title_short Crowdsourcing Platform Toward Seismic Disaster Reduction: The Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) System
title_sort crowdsourcing platform toward seismic disaster reduction the taiwan scientific earthquake reporting tser system
topic crowdsourcing
earthquake triggered geohazards
Taiwan seismicity
citizen seismology
seismic disaster reduction
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2019.00079/full
work_keys_str_mv AT wentzongliang crowdsourcingplatformtowardseismicdisasterreductionthetaiwanscientificearthquakereportingtsersystem
AT jianchenglee crowdsourcingplatformtowardseismicdisasterreductionthetaiwanscientificearthquakereportingtsersystem
AT naichihsiao crowdsourcingplatformtowardseismicdisasterreductionthetaiwanscientificearthquakereportingtsersystem