West Coast’s Earthquake Warning System Gets $4.9M Boost

Caltech and six other institutions were awarded a total of $4.9 million in funds by the U.S. Geological Survey Monday for the development of an earthquake warning system on the West Coast.

The agency also announced the purchase of about $1 million in sensor equipment to be used in the ShakeAlert system, which is designed to give residents several seconds of advance warning of an earthquake, allowing them to quickly seek shelter or take precautionary actions to limit damage.

Caltech was awarded funds along with Central Washington University, UC Berkeley, the universities of Oregon, Washington and Nevada-Reno, and UNAVCO, a geological-science research nonprofit.

[LA GALLERY] Northridge Earthquake: The First Day in Photos

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FILE - In this Jan. 17, 1994 file photo, Interstate 10, the Santa Monica Freeway, split and collapsed over La Cienega Boulevard following the Northridge quake in the predawn hours in Los Angeles. Twenty-five years ago this week, a violent, pre-dawn earthquake shook Los Angeles from its sleep, and sunrise revealed widespread devastation, with dozens killed and $25 billion in damage. (AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, hailed the USGS funding, saying it "brings us one step closer to fully deploying this technology which can save lives in the event of a major earthquake."

"We know that it is a matter of 'when' not 'if' a major earthquake will strike the West Coast, and a fully operational early warning system will help us be ready," he said.

The system was in danger earlier this year of losing funding in the federal budget, but an outcry from West Coast legislators led to $10.2 million in funds for the program's development.

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[LA GALLERY updated 6/9] What You'll Find Along the San Andreas Fault

CALIPATRIA, CA - JUNE 30: Mud boils violently in steam vents that, until recently, were underwater on the floor of the Salton Sea, on June 30 near Calipatria, California. Scientists have discovered that human-created changes effecting the Salton Sea appear to be the reason why California's massive "Big One" earthquake is more than 100 years overdue and building up for the greatest disaster ever to hit Los Angeles and Southern California. Researchers found that strands of the San Andreas Fault under the 45-mile long rift lake have have generated at least five 7.0 or larger quakes about every 180 years. This ended in the early 20th century when authorities stopped massive amounts of Colorado River water from periodically flooding the into this sub-sea level desert basin. Such floods used to regularly trigger major quakes and relieve building seismic pressure but the last big earthquake on the southern San Andreas was about 325 years ago. Dangerous new fault branches that could trigger a 7.8 quake have recently been discovered under the Salton Sea. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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Getty Images

CALIPATRIA, CA - JUNE 30: Mud boils violently in steam vents that, until recently, were underwater on the floor of the Salton Sea, on June 30 near Calipatria, California. Scientists have discovered that human-created changes effecting the Salton Sea appear to be the reason why California's massive "Big One" earthquake is more than 100 years overdue and building up for the greatest disaster ever to hit Los Angeles and Southern California. Researchers found that strands of the San Andreas Fault under the 45-mile long rift lake have have generated at least five 7.0 or larger quakes about every 180 years. This ended in the early 20th century when authorities stopped massive amounts of Colorado River water from periodically flooding the into this sub-sea level desert basin. Such floods used to regularly trigger major quakes and relieve building seismic pressure but the last big earthquake on the southern San Andreas was about 325 years ago. Dangerous new fault branches that could trigger a 7.8 quake have recently been discovered under the Salton Sea. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

The USGS estimated in 2014 that completing the warning system that has been under development since 2006 will require about $38.3 million in capital investment, and $16.1 million per year to operate and maintain.