A method or system for detecting a seismic event includes detecting a primary wave of a seismic event using at least one sensor at a measurement location; using at least one parameter of the detected primary wave to determine an estimated peak ground intensity at the measurement location without determining the magnitude of the seismic event; determining an epicenter of the seismic event; and estimating the intensity of the seismic event at a specified location using the determined estimated peak ground intensity and the distance of the specified location from the epicenter. The epicenter can be determined using sensors at a single location. A noise detection system can filter out detected signals that correspond to local vibrations rather than seismic events.
