Summary:
- Seismologists have developed an early warning system that can detect the initial seismic waves from an earthquake and provide a few seconds of advance notice before the stronger, more damaging waves arrive.
- This system could give people in the Bay Area crucial time to take protective actions, such as dropping, covering, and holding on, before the shaking starts.
- Researchers are working to refine the early warning system and make it more reliable, as it could save lives and reduce damage from the next major earthquake in the region.