Chinese Zoo Animals Monitored For Earthquake Prediction

An anonymous reader writes: Seismologists in Nanjing have set up seven observation centers at zoos and animal parks in the region to see if animals can predict when an earthquake may strike. At least three kinds of animals in the earthquake stations should corroborate each other when bizarre behavior occurs, said Zhao Bing, head of Nanjing earthquake monitoring. Discovery reports: "According to one English-language Chinese news outlet, 'At Banqiao ecological park the behavior of around 200 pigs, 2,000 chickens, and fish in a 15-hectare pond are closely monitored to detect signals of an earthquake. Breeders here create daily reports regarding animal behavior for Nanjing's seismological departments.' The news report noted that the park relies 'mainly on employees closely watching the animals' for seismological significance."

Comments

Re:correlation != causation

[codeButcher]

Do a scientific experiment (or maybe the whole point of the article is a hit piece against the Chinese zoo).

Simulate P-wave in controlled environment to see if the animals can detect them.

Otherwise, what they're doing with observing animals is not meaningful.

I guess if one is able to simulate a P-wave, it would be trivial to build a (technological) detector for P-waves (as in fact exists already in e.g. the Earthquake Early Warning systems of Japan). They seem to be banking on some anecdotal stories that animals are able to warn of an impending earthquake, in which a P-wave would not have been emitted yet and a P-wave detector thus useless. I say if that is the case, then such monitoring would be eminently useful, as it would either debunk or lend credence to such anecdotes, and if the latter, make a good case for further investigation into the mechanism at work that enable that ability in animals - which might then lead to "technological" detectors of such hypothetical phenomenon.