Virginia teen's model improves simulated earthquake sensor coverage by 16.7%

A 14-year-old student from Williamsburg, Virginia, has earned her a place among 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for finding a new way to position earthquake sensors.Earthquake sensors can help detect seismic activity and provide early warnings, but deciding where to install them is not easy. Scientists must consider how accurately the devices can detect earthquakes, how much ground they can cover and whether their locations are accessible.According to The Virginian Pilot, Isabel Rossi, who carried out the research as an eighth-grader, developed a computer-based model that showed a possible 16.7% improvement in earthquake detection coverage using just five additional sensors.The finding emerged from a six-month project in which Isabel examined whether mathematical methods commonly used to make decisions could help identify better locations for earthquake sensors.