[Sloth]

Can't sizeable quakes be detected pretty much anywhere on the planet?

[lainie]

I'm wondering why it took a full hour for the Colorado USGS people to report this 8.0?

[John H K]

Can't sizeable quakes be detected pretty much anywhere on the planet?

You could build your own seismometer that could have very easily picked up the Japanese quake (and even a much smaller Japanese quake) anywhere in the US.