U.S. scientists found sensors in smartphones and similar devices can be used to build early earthquake warning systems, according to a study published in the inaugural issue of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's journal Science Advances.

"The use of mobile phone fleets as a distributed sensor network — and the statistical insight that many imprecise instruments can contribute to the creation of more precise measurements — has broad applicability including great potential to benefit communities where there isn't an existing network of scientific instruments," Bob Iannucci of Carnegie Mellon University, Silicon Valley said in a statement released by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The study, led by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, found that smartphones can be used to issue warnings for earthquakes with a magnitude of roughly 7 or greater. Only a tiny percentage of people in a given area is needed to contribute information from their smartphones to achieve crowdsourced early earthquake warnings, according to the statement.

The scientists are planning to place several hundred smartphone-based sensors on buildings near fault lines in their next study in Chile.

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