Super Typhoon Ragasa caused no fatalities when it reached mainland China last month.
The techniques work better in noisy environments like cities and require less computing power than previous automated methods.
Building codes and infrastructure have been strengthened to withstand seismic forces, reducing damage and saving lives. An advanced early warning system and education programs have helped prepare the population.
Current earthquake warning systems typically give only a one to two-minute heads-up. But now researchers have identified nearly imperceptible shifts up to two hours before major quakes.