The phone alerts sound quite dystopian and unsettling. As if the earth shaking and feeling of imminent doom wasn’t chaotic enough, now you have yet another element of annoyance and distress added to the mix as a cherry on top. Just enough of a distraction in a life/death situation to tilt the scales in a negative direction.
There are different sounds for different situations. I don't know the regulations (presumably they exist) that say when a particular sound should be used.
The first is the default fire alarm noise in Britain, probably what I've heard most often.
I heard "LF Buzz" (2:32) in a nightclub, where it cut through the music. (I remember it as even more "yucky", maybe there were multiple sounders in the room.)
It could help people react better too by confirming what they are feeling is an earthquake and not a train or plane or your neighbors. It could also wake someone seconds before so they are more aware when it happens and not awakening in primal panic mid quake.
It isn't a huge help, but broadcasting to everyone in range of certain towers shouldn't be dystopian.
Google can detect major earthquakes about 15-30 seconds before visible shaking because of the huge network of accelerometers on Android phones worldwide. Those seconds can save lives if used properly.
