In their quest to accurately predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Japanese scientists have discovered that the satellite-based system that helps motorists navigate is an invaluable -- though as yet imperfect -- aid.
Information from global positioning system satellites were used by seismologists and volcanologists who predicted the March eruption of Mount Usu in Hokkaido and the earthquakes that have shaken the Izu Islands since June.
Developed by the U.S. Defense Department in the 1980s, the system provides position estimates via 24 satellites orbiting the Earth that send signals to GPS receivers on the ground.