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    - Photo for illustration purposes only via Shake Alert LA app -
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Published on Thursday, June 15, 2023
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The new earthquake alert application SATT (or Earthquake Early Warning System acronym in Spanish), is available in Costa Rica.
SATT was created by the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) to alert people to be prepared in case a strong earthquake may happen.
The app was built based on similar applications that are successfully being used in highly seismic countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, and the United States (West Coast).
The alerts are not predictions of possible earthquakes. The app manages to detect when an earthquake is originating in the lower layers of the ground. This will later determine the epicenter, magnitude, depth and possible time when it will be felt on the surface.
Depending on the possible magnitude of the earthquake, the app will issue a specific type of alert.
In an expected high-magnitude earthquake, equal to or stronger than 5 degrees on the Mercalli scale, an alert will be issued. This is a phone vibration alert with a voice message alerting "Earthquake!" and a text message displaying, "Get down, protect yourself and stay still."
In the event of medium-grade earthquakes, between three and five, only a vibration notification will be issued on the phone.
In the case of low-grade earthquakes, less than three scale, the phone will only receive a notification that an earthquake has occurred.
The time
from when the alert is issued and the
earthquake begins to be felt depends on
multiple factors, especially the
magnitude, depth and distance between
the epicenter and the place where the
person receives the warning.
If the earthquake starts at deep distances from the epicenter, there will be more between the alert and the time when the earthquake hits, this will allow enough time to be prepared.
But if the earthquake starts at a short distance from the epicenter, the warning could be displayed at the same time the earthquake hits, experts said.
The app can be downloaded on devices with Android OS version 8.0 or higher. Also, the user must have the Google Play app active to receive notifications.
The App is available on the Ovsicori website and labeled as "OVSICORI-UNA Alerta de Terremotos."
Authorities are working on adapting the app for iOS devices. It is expected that in the coming weeks, it will be enabled in that operating system.
Being along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Costa Rica has been often hit by destructive earthquakes causing extensive damages and many casualties.
The country's National Seismological Network (RSN) has been closely monitoring the seismic activity. The records show the strongest earthquake occurred on April 22, 1991, in Valle La Estrella District in Limón Province at 3:57 p.m. with a 7.7 magnitude. It was felt throughout the country as well as in western Panama, claiming 48 lives in Costa Rica and 79 in Panama.
The SATT app was developed by Ovsicori with support from the Swiss Seismological Service, the Zurich Institute of Technology and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The app will soon be enabled in the rest of the Central American countries.
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