If you live near a fault line, you want to have an early warning system that can alert you about earthquakes before they strike. Thankfully, there are lots of great apps that are designed to detect earthquakes, track seismic activities, and give you real-time alerts. Here are the best earthquake apps to keep you and your family safe.
Earthquake Network – Realtime Alerts
Earthquake Network provides real-time earthquake alerts for most countries around the world, showing you detailed maps featuring fault overlays. It relies on crowdsourcing and detects quakes through a network of smartphone users. You can report a tremor or any seismic activity, and these reports are compiled in its system. This app also has chatrooms where users get to exchange information during quakes.
This app also claims to be the only warning system that is able to alert you before the seismic waves. You can even send automated text messages and e-mails to your emergency contacts when a quake is detected.
And while you can download this app for free, you can also get the paid version (Earthquake Network PRO), which has earthquake notifications, chat message priority in case of emergencies, and earthquake visualization through augmented reality.
Download: App Store | Google Play Store
PRO version: Google Play Store
My Earthquake Alerts
My Earthquake Alerts is a well-designed and easy-to-use earthquake app that shows you live information from all over the world via push notifications. It also has a powerful search feature that allows you to find earthquakes dating back to the 1970s. You can see recent earthquakes in a list or on a map, and check their exact location, their magnitude, and how far they are from you.
Download: Apple App Store | Google Play Store
LastQuake
LastQuake is the official earthquake app of the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center. It offers information you need about earthquakes around the world.
This app provides real-time details of earthquakes, including photos, videos, and witness statements. You can also get safety tips about what to do after an earthquake and take advantage of an SMS service that allows you to notify your loved ones. This feature makes it a great app if you are planning a vacation to Europe.
Download: App Store | Google Play Store
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
The Volcanoes & Earthquakes app does not just alert you about earthquakes, it also gives you useful information about volcanoes, too. You will get the latest earthquake and volcano-related news, alerts on tremors and volcanic activities, and volcanic ash advisories in real-time.
You can also filter the data you get according to certain parameters, like an earthquake of a certain magnitude or in a specific area. The latest earthquake information is presented in a list format or a map. You can also view a complete list of volcanoes around the world and their activity level.
This app gets its data from more than 25 agencies around the world, including the USGS and other international agencies. You can also submit experience reports and read ones that were submitted by others.
Download: App Store | Google Play Store
3D Earthquake
This Android app is unique because it gives you an interactive 3D hollow globe that you can spin to view areas where by recent earthquakes occurred. It provides a visualization of earthquake depth and magnitude and tectonic plates. Depending on your defined time frame, you can see quakes that took place within the last 30 days, seven days, 24 hours, or one hour.
The app gets its earthquake information from the USGS. You can tap the quake label to see detailed information about a particular quake and share it with your friends.
e of the pinned quake’s location
Download: Google Play Store
Tremor Tracker
Tremor Tracker is a free app for iPhone and iPad users that has an interactive globe to show you the most recent earthquake points. You can spin the globe around and tap on one of the pinned quake’s locations for more information about that earthquake, such as the time, magnitude, epicenter location, and if there were any tsunami warnings.
The app’s interface is very interactive and easy to navigate, making it a perfect learning tool for you and your kids. You can also select the time frame for the earthquake alerts you want to get, whether it is within the last hour, day, week, or month.
The seismic activity data is provided by the USGS, Geoscience Australia, and Earthquakes Canada.
Download: App Store
Now that you have one of the best earthquake apps, check out our list of the best apps to have in case of an emergency.