Citizen Seismology Unplugged Stories from the ground - BLOG

In this space, citizen seismology finds its own voice. Here, we don't just talk about earthquakes: we tell stories, share data, explore curiosities, and celebrate science that originates from the ground up—from the ground we walk on and from the seismic stations you can install yourself.

Dozens of aftershocks greater than magnitude 4.0 have followed the M7.0 earthquake in Alaska. Follow it live.

Dozens of aftershocks are occurring every few minutes following the Alaska M7.0 earthquake. These aftershocks are having an average magnitude greater than M4.0. You can follow it live on the GlobalQuake channel.

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- M7.0 - Earthquake in Yakutat, Alaska; No Tsunami Warning Issued

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Yakutat, Alaska. No tsunami warning was issued. This earthquake coincided with a magnitude 4.8 quake in Greece. Several minor aftershocks followed.

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- M4.9 - Earthquake in Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain

This morning there was an earthquake in Fuengirola, Málaga, near the Strait of Gibraltar, with a magnitude of M4.9. The advisor to the Board of the Interior activates the pre-emergency phase of the Seismic Risk Plan. Emergency calls were received by 112 from municipalities in the provinces of Málaga, Seville, and Córdoba. No damage reported

NSA Naples Emergency Readiness Guide (Naval Support Activity Naples)

This guide is designed to help staff and their families prepare for and respond to natural disasters (such as earthquakes) or emergencies requiring evacuation. The guide is also relevant for the Phlegraean Fields area, which is particularly important given recent events (especially the recent earthquakes and the ongoing ground uplift of approximately 2.5 cm per month).

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- M4.7 - Explosive eruption of Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano with M4.7 earthquake

On November 23, 2025, at approximately 08:55:02 UTC, a massive eruption occurred at the Erta Ale (Hayli Gubbi) volcano in Ethiopia, located in the remote Danakil Depression on the Afar Fault. The ash plume, reaching a height of about 15 km and accompanied by significant sulfur dioxide emissions, quickly drifted as far as Yemen and Oman, and even reached Iran, Pakistan, and India.

Campi Flegrei in Italy. Europe's supervolcano that is inflating.

Campi Flegrei is an area in Pozzuoli, near Naples, just 10 km away. This area is actually a supervolcano, extending even into the sea. In recent months, a continuous and accelerated uplift of the ground (2.5 cm per month) has been detected, along with an increase in the frequency of seismic events, and sustained high ground temperatures exceeding 170°C.

Can rain be detected with a Citizen seismic station?

Rain creates small shock waves when it hits the ground, but can these be strong enough to be detected by a Citizen Seismic Station? This article explains it.

Do the vibrations from a washing machine or dryer affect a seismic station?

It might seem like a silly question, but we won't know until we test it. Is it possible that vibrations could affect the data collected by a Citizen seismic station, causing us to detect tiny vibrations? Let us explain.

Can fireworks be detected with a Citizen seismic station?

We will investigate this using video footage from an ADXL355 accelerometer sensor and seismogram analysis from a geophone calibrated to 4.5 Hz. Watching the video to see how the alarms respond to these events will help you understand how they work.

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- M4.7 - M4.7 earthquake central Italy

On October 6, 2025, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck central Italy, triggering a massive activation of seismic stations in the surrounding area. One of our citizen radio stations also detected it.

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- M2.6 - M2.6 earthquake in Santa Coloma de Farners (Girona)

On September 28, 2025, a low-magnitude earthquake occurred near our stations. A perfect local event to document.

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- M6.2 - M6.2 Earthquake in Menegrande, Venezuela

On September 25, 2025, an earthquake struck Menegrande, Venezuela, reaching a magnitude of IX on the MMI scale.

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- M3.0 - M3.0 Earthquake in Sicily (Italy)

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck Sicily on September 21, 2025, and was captured by our Citizen Seismic Stations.

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- M5.4 - M5.4 Earthquake in the Philippines, MMI V

This earthquake, although not one of the largest, was detected at our Citizen seismic stations, more than 10,500 km away.

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- M7.8 - M7.8 Earthquake in Kamchatka, Russia with Tsunami Threat

On September 18, 2025, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Kamchatka, the result of expected aftershocks following the recent major 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

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- M7.4 - M7.4 earthquake - 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia VII DYFI. Depth 59.0 km

Documented arrival of the M7.4 earthquake with tsunami warning from Kamchatka at the citizen seismic station EQ002 in Girona, over 9,000 km away. Full video of the earthquake

Can thunder be detected with a Citizen seismic station?

In this article, we'll explain whether it's possible to detect thunder with a Citizen seismic station and examine the differences in the waves captured between a geophone calibrated to 4.5Hz, a mid-range ADXL355 MEMS accelerometer, and a low-cost GY-521/MPU-6050 MEMS gyroscope accelerometer.

Seismology is the science that studies earthquakes, seismic waves, and the Earth's internal processes. But on this blog, seismology isn't just for experts: it's a shared adventure. Thanks to the participation of citizens like you, seismic detection becomes more widespread, more local, more human.

In this space you will find:

  • 📈 Data and visualizations generated by citizen science stations
  • 🧠 Clear explanations of concepts such as magnitude, epicenter, P and S waves, ground acceleration, and dominant frequency
  • 🧭 Real stories from those who have installed stations and felt the tremor before anyone else
  • 🧩 Geophysical curiosities about active faults, microtremors, induced earthquakes, and more
  • 🛠️ Tutorials and tips for setting up your station, interpreting your data, or contributing to the network
  • 🔍 Collaborative analyses of seismic events detected by the community

This blog is also a field journal, a logbook where sensor technology, geophysics, science education, and citizen science intersect. Because each installed station is a window into the Earth's interior, and every piece of data shared is a contribution to open and reproducible science.

Are you passionate about the Earth? Are you intrigued by the subsurface? Do you want to be part of a network that listens to the heartbeat of the planet? This blog is for you.