GPS Data: A Potential Early Warning System for Earthquakes

Scientists have discovered a precursory fault phase slip that occurs nearly two hours before an earthquake, potentially allowing for early warnings. By analyzing GPS records from 48 hours prior to over 90 earthquakes, the researchers observed signs of increasing activity along fault zones in the two hours immediately before the earthquakes. However, current GPS systems lack the sensitivity required to make precise predictions at single sites, and it remains uncertain whether these slow-slip accelerations can be measured accurately enough to provide useful warnings for individual events.