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NASA Hosts 'Quest for Quakes' Data Challenge

posted by janrinok on Tuesday July 28 2015, @03:53PM   Printer-friendly
from the ping-rumble-crash dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found this:

A new NASA challenge is looking for evidence to support a theory that electromagnetic pulses (EMP) may precede an earthquake, potentially offering a warning to those in the quake's path.

The "Quest for Quakes" two-week algorithm challenge seeks to develop new software codes or algorithms to search through data and identify electromagnetic pulses that may precede an earthquake. Some researchers have speculated such pulses originating from the ground near earthquake epicenters could signal the onset of some quakes.

"Developing a reliable approach that can separate potential earthquake-induced electromagnetic pulses from the myriad of natural and anthropogenic sources has been a significant challenge," said Craig Dobson, program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We look forward to seeing the innovative ideas from this competition and learning more about this controversial phenomenon."

The challenge opened for registration on Tuesday. Competitors will be able to submit entries from Monday, July 27 at 1 p.m. ET through Monday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. ET.

Contestants will be provided with electromagnetic signal data collected over three-month periods from multiple sensors in the proximity of past earthquakes. Control data with no earthquakes also will be included. Coders will have two weeks to develop a new approach to extract the signals and identify potential earthquake precursors. The individuals or teams developing winning approaches will share a $25,000 prize.

 
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  • (Score: 1) by purpleland on Tuesday July 28 2015, @07:03PM

    by purpleland (5193) on Tuesday July 28 2015, @07:03PM (#215000)

    Good point. But I wonder if there might still be other useful studies to be made from a network of many seismometers in a region over time. This should allow us to visualize and animate seismic activity in a region. In theory the more meters available, the more accurate the animation sequence. I bet you could even guess the location of the epicenter from looking at the animation. Also, it's cool to see the locations of nearby enthusiasts who setup these meters, and interact with them.