Animals can predict earthquakes

Researchers have obtained evidence of changes in animal behavior when seismic activity increases, implying they can predict in advance an upcoming earthquake.

Ability to predict animal earthquakes

An international team, led by Dr. Rachel Grant of the University of Anglia Ruskin (UK), analyzed data collected from a series of plugged cameras in the Yanachaga National Park in Peru. They discovered major changes in animal behavior that began 23 days before the 7-magnitude Contamana earthquake struck the area in 2011.

On a normal day, the cameras will record 5 - 15 different scenes of animals. However, during the 2 days before the earthquake, they only recorded less than 5 such scenes every day.

In 5 - 7 days just before the intense seismic, cameras failed to record any animal activity - an extremely unusual thing for this hilly and mountainous area. According to Dr Grant, an expert in animal and environmental biology, rodents seem particularly sensitive and they completely disappear eight days before the earthquake.

Grant and his colleagues learned about the causes of this anomalous disappearance. They recorded very low frequency radio waves (VLF) reflections above the area around the epicenter. They found disturbances in the ionosphere - the atmosphere contains large amounts of ions and free electrons, capable of reflecting radio waves - starting two weeks before the earthquake.

According to the researchers, rodents are particularly sensitive to changes before an earthquake.(Artwork: Word Press)

A particularly large oscillation was recorded 8 days before the earthquake, coinciding with the second largest activity decline of animals observed during the pre-earthquake period. One of the most obvious and most likely causes for abnormal reactions of animals is positive ions in the air , which lead to unpleasant side effects in both humans and animals, such as syndrome. Increasing serotonin in the blood, can lead to symptoms of anxiety, anxiety, hyperactivity and confusion.

Professor Friedemann Freund, co-author of the study from the Seti Institute (USA), explains: "Cameras are placed on a hill at a height of 900 meters. If the ionization process occurs, it is more likely. "The power is especially strong along the hill. Therefore, the animals will escape to the lower valley, where they are exposed to less positive ions in the air."

Experts say that with the ability to sense their environment correctly , animals can help us understand the small changes that occur before big earthquakes. The next step of the study will be to find an effective way to monitor animal behavioral changes before an earthquake, because experts don't want "false alarms."