A service of the University of South Carolina Office of Media Relations. For information on faculty availability, contact the Office of Media Relations, 803-777-5400.

This audible alert system consists of five speakers mounted on poles or building roofs around campus. These speakers can produce both tone and voice output for recorded messages.

The university community and its nearby neighbors can listen and familiarize themselves with the different tones by going to the university’s Emergency Preparedness Web site: http://www.sc.edu/emergency/.

Additional information will explain the appropriate action to take or shelter location to seek for specific emergency situations.

The schedule for the week is as follows:

Wednesday -- Start testing of sirens from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: The starting time has been changed since yesterday’s media advisory was distributed. Some tests will be of individual sirens; others will have sirens grouped together.

Thursday -- System-wide test at 10:30 a.m. University personnel will be stationed at various locations to assess sound quality and otherwise judge the system’s effectiveness. Other testing may occur throughout the day until 5 p.m.

After this round of testing, the university tentatively plans to perform monthly tests at noon on the first Monday of each month.

Talwani, says the China earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter Scale, is much greater than the devastating Charleston quake of 1886, which had a 7.3 magnitude. Talwani is scheduled to meet with Chinese officials next week in Boulder, Colo., to discuss earthquake research.

To arrange interviews, call Karen Petit at 803-777-5400.