GPS technology is now being used to detect natural disasters before they occur, mainly natural hazards like tsunami's, earthquakes, and tornadoes. A combination of GPS, accelerator, pressure, and temperature is detected. This data is the basis for innovative technology. The technology returns data products such as accurate measurements of vibrations or seismic activity gathered by ground stations, which form the basis for early detection of sustained damage; and quantification of precipitation in the lower atmosphere, a determining factor in short-term weather forecasting.
The combination of sensors significantly improves current seismic and meteorological practices. The volunteer computers check motion with MEMS, (microelectromechanical systems) accelerometers, and digitally send triggers to QCN servers when strong motions are detected. A free App for Google Android smartphone, My Shake, from the Berkeley Seismology lab is designed to detect earthquakes.