Science has proven that when nature “stirs” or animals become “restless,” it is a sign that disasters are approaching.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis cause extensive damage to property and loss of life. Therefore, throughout history, humanity has sought to invent tools that can predict these calamities.
However, these tools are not always entirely accurate. Conversely, there are many signs in nature that allow us to predict disasters, such as unusual changes in the sky, earth, ocean, or simply the abnormal behavior of certain animal species.
1. The Sky Goes Mad, Nature Rages
One of the natural signs associated with earthquakes is the appearance of strange lights in the sky. In the scientific community, these phenomena are referred to as “earthquake lights” (Earthquake light).
Scientific reports indicate that earthquake lights often appear in the sky near areas experiencing tremors, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Essentially, these lights are similar to auroras, with a color spectrum ranging from white to pale blue.
Underground fissures are the deep source of this strange light
Earthquake lights can last for several seconds or even dozens of minutes, depending on the case. Notable events recorded with the appearance of this light include the Kalapana earthquake in 1975 and the Sichuan earthquake in China in 2008.
Earthquake light during the Sichuan disaster in China in 2008
To explain why earthquake lights appear before a disaster, Professor Troy Shinbrot from Rutgers University states: “When an earthquake occurs, underground fissures release electrical charges into the atmosphere. These ionize air particles, resulting in the aforementioned special light.”
2. The Ocean Growls, Super Earthquakes Approach
Japan is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. In 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of 16,000 people in this nation.
This is why Japanese scientists continuously research to find natural signs warning of disasters. Recently, a study published in the journal Science suggests that experts from the land of cherry blossoms may have found an answer.
Accordingly, Japan’s oceanic vibration measurement devices picked up strange “growling” sounds from the sea. Analysis revealed that these sounds are related to “slow” earthquake phenomena.
The ocean seems calm, but terrifying seismic activities lurk beneath the surface
These are underground earthquakes influenced by the movement of magma and do not cause ruptures or volcanic eruptions like regular earthquakes.
However, when the frequency of these “slow” earthquakes increases, it indicates that a super earthquake is imminent. Therefore, discovering and listening to the ocean’s “growl” will pave the way for better predictions of natural disasters.
3. Cats Get Restless, Bad Omens Approach
Related to the 2011 disaster in Japan, expert Hiroyuki Yamauchi and colleagues conducted an online survey of pet owners to investigate the correlation between earthquakes and abnormal animal behaviors. The survey results indicated that cats are the most sensitive creatures to earthquakes.
Specifically, the team surveyed over 703 cat owners and were informed about the unusual behaviors of their pets. Some of the surveyed cats exhibited abnormal behavior within 6 days or even earlier before the earthquake occurred.
They became jittery, restless, and wanted to escape outdoors; others were extremely agitated.
To explain these behaviors, researchers suggest that cats possess highly sensitive senses compared to humans.
Thus, they may detect earthquake precursor signals such as changes in atmospheric pressure, ground deformation (changes in tilt or slope), fluctuations in groundwater levels, or gases and vapors released from fissures…
4. Red Ants Stay Up Late, Earthquake Approaches
In 2013, expert Gabriele Berberich from the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany) presented a study in Vienna proving the earthquake prediction ability of red ants.
Over a period of three years (2009 – 2012), Berberich and colleagues monitored approximately 15,000 red ant nests in regions located on underground fault lines in Germany.
They used cameras to record the ants’ behavior 24/7 and then compared it with 10 minor earthquakes (2 – 3.2 magnitude) during the same period, discovering something unusual.
The red ant nests observed and monitored by Berberich
Typically, red ants are active during the day and return to their nests at night. However, one day before the earthquakes, all red ants stayed awake all night and did not return to their nests. Normal behavior resumed only after the earthquake passed.
Berberich and her colleagues believe this is evidence of the small creatures’ earthquake warning ability. She explains that red ants likely possess special neural receptors that help them detect changes in gas levels underground as well as shifts in the Earth’s magnetic field. This allows them to predict when an earthquake will occur.
5. Where There’s a Storm, Sharks Gather
Historically, most animal species tend to move as far away as possible when sensing disasters in an area. However, sharks behave differently.
Scientific observations show that sharks seem to be storm hunters in nature. Areas that suddenly see a gathering of sharks may indicate that a strong storm is about to form.
Where there is a storm…
This observation has been confirmed by Professor Neil Hammerschlag. In the University of Miami’s Marine Life Conservation Project, he has tagged approximately 300 sharks each year and monitored them.
Hammerschlag found that tagged sharks are particularly fond of swimming to areas with rapidly changing temperatures. In other words, these are the ocean regions that give rise to storms.
… where sharks will come to check in
From this discovery, Hammerschlag has proposed monitoring sharks to predict where storms are formed and developed. This could serve as a highly cost-effective and efficient storm forecasting tool.
According to him, “the great thing is that sharks master the oceans because they can swim to places humans cannot reach and gather data about those areas.”
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