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by maratumba 2543 days ago
> There are reports of animals being able to predict earthquakes before they occur, and even records of other kinds of electromagnetic activity before quakes.

There have been all kinds of tests with animals but so far, all animal behaviour that looks like predicting earthquakes is only their sensitivity to low amplitude-high speed P (pressure) waves, which humans usually don't feel.

2 comments

Pigeons are very sensitive to this. Apparently a survival instinct from making their home in cliff faces.

It seems to trigger a flight reflex, it makes them take off real fast. I use a high voltage arc generator to scare pigeons off my deck. The sound from the arc seems to trigger the same response. It is certainly much more effective than yelling at them or waving one's arms around.

I forgot the exact details of the research as I did it in undergrad, but I guarantee my academic adviser, the PhDs at the USGS, and the people providing the grant thought of that.

There's evidence for real prediction, including reports of a ramp up EM energy a day before a quake.