Israel Updates National Earthquake Alert System to Prevent Tunnel Blast False Alarms
In a joint statement on Sunday, the Geological Survey of Israel and the Ministry of Energy announced the implementation of a new operational protocol for the “TRUAA” national earthquake early warning system, prompted by recent IDF tunnel demolition activities.
The update follows an incident on October 26, when 370 tons of explosives were detonated by the IDF near Kfarkela, southern Lebanon, to destroy a Hezbollah terror tunnel. The powerful blast triggered TRUAA’s first-ever activation, mistakenly issuing earthquake alerts through sirens and mobile apps—causing confusion among the public.
An investigation by the Geological Survey determined that the system functioned exactly as designed, detecting seismic activity that closely mimicked an earthquake due to:
- The sheer intensity of the blast
- Its close proximity to TRUAA’s seismic sensors
- The algorithm’s tuning to natural earthquakes rather than man-made explosions
In response, officials have now developed special protocols in cooperation with the IDF Home Front Command to prevent similar false alarms. These include:
- Advance notification of controlled IDF detonations to the Geological Survey
- Algorithm refinements to differentiate between natural and artificial seismic events
- Operational adjustments that preserve earthquake detection capabilities while minimizing public disruption
Dr. Itay Korzon, Head of the Geological Survey’s Seismology Division, emphasized the uniqueness of Israel’s security environment:
“Controlled explosions like those conducted by the IDF present exceptional challenges for an earthquake-focused system. We’ve already applied our new protocols in recent operations and successfully avoided false alarms.”
The TRUAA system remains fully operational and prepared to issue real earthquake alerts when necessary, now with enhanced safeguards to account for Israel’s distinct security realities.
