Mexico City seismic alert system

Abstract

The Seismic Alert System (SAS) for Mexico City has been operating as an experimental evaluation project since August, 1991. The aim of this project is to mitigate the effects of earthquakes generated in the Guerrero Gap. The system is designed to broadcast a universal alert for earthquakes in Guerrero above the threshold M ≥ 6, and a limited alert for earthquakes with M ≥ 5. In Mexico, the Engineering Institute of the National University of Mexico operates the Seismotelemetric Information System of Mexico (SISMEX) an analog real time radio telemetry system where recordings of the remote events typically are made in the central installation on campus before the ground shaking arrives. The experience gained in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of SISMEX has been used in the implementation of the Mexico City early warning Seismic Alert System.