Earthquakes can be signaled 30-40 seconds before they happen

The Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM), in cooperation with the Chisinau City Hall, will set up a project to predict earthquakes. The potential users of the seismic warning system are the gas, water and electric power suppliers, surgical wards, firefighting departments, lift service, the airport and railroad services, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from the Academy. ASM president Gheorghe Duca said the project will be aimed at rationally using the time before the quake for diminishing the panic among the people and preventing losses of life and considerable damage. According to the head of the Academy’s Geology and Seismology Institute Vasile Alcaz, the current seismic warning system analyzes the received signals and issues an warning 30-40 second before the quake strikes Chisinau. The city is exposed to a high seismic danger. The implementation of the new warning system would enable to earlier inform the main institutions facing increased risks about earthquakes. Representatives of the Chisinau City Hall say the new system should also warn all the residents of Chisinau about the possible earthquakes. The statistical data show that in certain sectors of Chisinau the seismic intensity can reach 8-9 degrees on the MSK–6 4seismic scale.