Chinese scientists have discovered an earthquake monitoring system called AETA, which will be able to forecast earthquakes at least one to 15 days ahead of time after fully deployed, according to its chief developer, Science and Technology Daily reported on Feb. 8.

AETA is able to capture earthquake precursors, record signs before and after a quake, and discover patterns to predict earthquakes, said Wang Xinan, director of an earthquake monitoring and prediction technology research center based in southern China’s Shenzhen.

The system is placed under the ground or in a cave to capture underground sounds and other signs before an earthquake happens.

Unlike traditional bulky monitoring instruments, AETA is made up of a small group of compact and lightweight, sophisticated semiconductor sensors.

AETA picked up signals when a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted waters near Taiwan’s Hualien County on Tuesday.

The system also proved useful in predicting earthquakes in southwest China’s Sichuan province in last September and October, respectively.

Currently, the country has nearly 200 sets of AETA, most of which are placed in the southwestern provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, as well as in Beijing and surrounding areas. Taiwan is also covered by the monitoring system.