Electric Phenomena for Earthquake Prediction Thomas St-Laurent - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Electric Phenomena for Earthquake Prediction Thomas St-Laurent

Earthquake prediction: Objective To predict the location of the epicenter of an earthquake in space and time and magnitude Different Timescales Long term : 10 to 1 years Intermediate term: 1 year Short term : 1 month to a few days Immediate term: A few hours

Earthquake Precursors An anomalous event which occurs prior to an earthquake and might be used to predict an event. Issues: Not always reliable Not present in every event Often understood as a precursor event after the fact.

Earthquake precursors Seismic Precursors Non-Seismic Precursors Foreshocks Animal Agitation Movement of Tectonic Ultra low Frequency EM plates waves Behavior of Fault EM field anomalies Earthquake lights

Lights after 8.2 Magnitude Earthquake in Mexico City, September 8 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTzImJ5tnCo&t=29s

Lights seen before the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKMTSDzU1Z4

Piezoelectricity Brothers Pierre and Jacques Curie, French phycisists, demonstrated piezoelectricity in 1880.

Piezoelectricity Brothers Pierre and Jacques Curie, French phycisists, demonstrated piezoelectricity in 1880. Mechanical Stress Electricity

Piezoelectricity In 1881, the opposite phenomena was demonstrated, which made piezoelectric effect a reversible process. Mechanical Stress Electricity

Piezoelectric Technology Examples

Rocks as Batteries Friedemann Freund was researching crystal defects in MgO and could increase its conductivity if its defects were “activated”. Common rocks in the crust demonstrate the same defects. In 1990 Freund hypothesized that he could generate electricity by stressing the rock.

In 2006

P – Type Semiconductor

Ionization of Air In 2009 Freund and a group of students showed that with sufficient stress, the air could be ionized

Lights seen before the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKMTSDzU1Z4

What this means for Earthquake Prediction A physical understanding of the relationship between stress in rock and electromagnetic phenomena. Change in the electromagnetic field could have its reflection in the stress in rocks below. The Earth is a Dynamic Body There might not be a method to predict all earthquakes, electric phenomena could help us predict at least some earthquakes.

Further Implications (from my intuition): Using piezoelectricity to “harness” electricity from seismic waves? A model of the earth as a huge battery or semiconductor? EM radiation from Sun and far away stars affect stress in the crust? Ancient pyramids used as Energy generating/transforming devices?

References • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2532812/How-mysterious-orbs-used-predict-earthquakes-Scientists-link- strange-lights-movement-Earths-crust.html • http://dev.nsta.org/evwebs/2014102/news/default.html • https://www.seti.org/seti-institute/project/details/friedemann-freund-%E2%80%94-future-forecasting-earthquakes • http://www.isfep.com/FF_PhysChemEarth_Understanding.pdf • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity#/media/File:Piezoelectric_balance_presented_by_Pierre_Curie_to_Lord_Kel vin,_Hunterian_Museum,_Glasgow.jpg