The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) and an international service provider Hunter Communications have put in place communication channels to monitor the earth's seismic activity. High-precision seismometers are installed in a number of regions of Yakutia, transmitting data via the Express-AM5 communications and broadcasting satellite located in geostationary orbit at 140° E.
Over one and a half million square kilometers of Yakutia’s territory are earthquake-prone. Every year, hundreds of earthquakes of various strengths occur here - up to 9-10 points on the 12-point MSK-64 scale. The most dangerous are the northeast and south of Yakutia. The sensors allow you to record the vibration of the earth's crust, even if the source of the shock wave is located in another region of the globe, which makes it possible to predict an earthquake in advance. Going forward, the coverage of the VSAT network for monitoring seismic activity will be expanded to include the whole of Eastern Siberia.
According to Hunter Communications president Brent Perrot, “Sixteen years ago, Hunter helped establish the first such seismic monitoring network in the Caribbean. For that many years, early warning signals from seismic sensors made it possible to arrange timely evacuation of residents from the dangerous areas and save several hundred thousand lives. In 2021, it was information about an impending volcanic eruption, received from the sensors on the Saint Vincent Islands off the coast of Venezuela that made it possible for local authorities to stave off catastrophic consequences and avoid loss of life. We are confident that our expertise in building such networks and well-developed technologies will help in our joint work with RSCC on a project in Russia.”
For his part, RSCC General Director Alexey Volin noted that RSCC seeks to maximize the use of satellite technologies: “Today our satellites support options to receive not only communication and television services. They can be used in other areas that are extremely important for the economy and life in general. The use of satellites for monitoring seismic activity is one of the new aspects of our business. I am sure that our efforts will not be limited only to Eastern Siberia. Since our satellites now cover 69 percent of the Earth's surface, this service may be in demand in other regions as well.”