A new phone app uses vibrations from smartphones to alert people about earthquakes.
一款新的手机应用程序使用智能手机的振动功能提醒人们地震。
The phone app recognizes sudden shaking of the earth's surface through sensors in smartphones.
这款手机应用程序通过智能手机的传感器识别地球表面的突然振动。
The new app is called MyShake. It is the work of four researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. They said they created a worldwide warning system that would inform people and give them time to prepare.
这一新的应用程序被称之为MyShake。它是加州大学伯克利分校四名研究人员的杰作。这些研究人员表示他们创造了一个全球预警系统，它将能提醒人们让他们有时间准备。
Other earthquake apps include QuakeFeed, Quakes and Earthquake. They show where earthquakes have happened, at what strength, and the aftershocks. Those use data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
其它地震应用程序包括QukeFeed、Quakes以及Earthquake。它们能够显示哪里发生了地震，有多大强度以及余震。它们都使用美国地质调查局的数据。
The MyShake app is available only for Android phones.
MyShake这款应用程序仅适用于安卓手机。
How MyShake Works
MyShake如何工作
Smart phones are equipped with accelerometers. These instruments measure movement, like that of a car or airplane. They can also measure the shaking of a machine, building or other structure.
智能手机都配备了加速度计。这类仪器可以测量运动，像飞机和汽车的运动。它们还可以测量机器、建筑和其它结构的振动。
Accelerometers are used in activity trackers and apps that count steps or other exercise. They also are used in global positioning system apps, also called GPS.
加速度计被用于运动跟踪器以及统计步数和其它运动的应用程序。它们还被用于全球定位系统应用（GPS）程序。
MyShake uses phone accelerometers to measure seismic activity. It has been programmed to know the difference between normal activity and earthquake movement. The software developers say their app is right 93 percent of the time.
MyShake利用手机加速度计来测量地震活动。它经过编程能够识别正常活动和地震运动之间的差异。该软件的开发者表示，他们的应用程序有93%的正确率。
A smartphone sends seismic information to the app developers. If the developers receive several notifications from one area, it recognizes that an earthquake may be taking place or will take place soon.
智能手机将地震信息发送给应用程序开发人员。如果开发人员收到来自同一地区的多项通知，就能知道可能正在发生地震或即将发生地震。
Using information sent from the app, the network then estimates the location and strength of the quake in real time. MyShake can record magnitude 5.0 earthquakes at distances of 10 kilometers or less.
利用这款应用程序发送的信息，该网络然后实时估算出地震的位置和强度。MysShake能够记录十公里以内的5.0级地震。
MyShake uses very little power, according to its developers. Only when seismic activity is sensed by the app does it become active and sends data to the network.
根据开发人员介绍，MyShake能耗极低。该应用程序只有在检测到地震活动时才会激活并发送数据到该网络。
The app works best when your phone is resting on a flat surface, like a table.
该应用程序在手机搁在桌子之类的平面上效果最佳。
The developers hope that MyShake can add to information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. That U.S. agency has created the Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as the EEW. The EEW has deployed sensors for measuring quakes in many areas. In places where no such equipment exists, MyShake may be the only method of early quake detection.
开发人员希望MyShake能够补充美国地质调查局收集的信息。该机构已经建立了地震早期预警系统，简称为EEW。该地震早期预警系统在很多地区部署了测量地震的传感器。在没有这类设备的地区，MyShake可能是早期地震检测的唯一途径。
The app also shows ways to stay safer during an earthquake. The developers say it will become more effective as more people use it.
该应用程序还展示了地震期间保持安全的方法。开发人员表示，随着越来越多人使用，它将会变得更加有效。
"Our goal is to build a worldwide seismic network and use the data to reduce the effects of earthquakes on us as individuals and on society as a whole," say the researchers.
研究人员表示，“我们的目标是建立一个全球地震台网，并使用这些数据降低地震对我们个人以及整个社会的影响。”
The developers say they hope to add a feature that would warn people about a possible tsunami, or the huge waves after an earthquake.
开发人员表示，他们希望增加一个功能，在地震之后提醒人们可能发生海啸。
I'm Kathleen Struck.
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