Though it has been eclipsed in attention for the moment, the risk hasn't gone away. According to t?he United States Geological Survey, earthquakes "pose a significant risk to 75 million Americans in 39 states," and thr?ee-fourths of Californians. And that's just America! There's a whole Pacific Rim out there.

To increase that warning time, and supplement the monitoring job done by the USGS and its Shak?eAlert system, we're all already carrying another potential monitor in our pockets: smartphones. A USGS study just p?ublished in the journal Science Advances found that smartphones could form an effective earthquake early warning system for places that aren't being closely watched by scientists. In fact, they're ready to do it right now, but for one small change to the software.