{ 2008 03 21 }

Replacing the Seismograph with Animals?

                          

Do not be alarmed if one day animals do infact replace equipments such as the seismography to act as pre-emptive warnings to natural disasters such as Earthquakes and Tsunamis.

One would question: why is it that there's always seemingly little animal's death after natural disasters such as the 2005 Tsunami in Asia?


How did animals in Thailand know the tsunami was coming?
Sources: http://youtube.com/watch?v=G8Fy8CNu11U

Many animals often are able to avoid natural disasters such as earthquakes. It is often seen that these animals' behavior would change prior to certain natural disasters. As this applies to most animals in general, we shall not just focus on one single species. We would look at 2 to 3 types of species and their behaviors when this 'sixth sense' for natural disaster arises.

Fishes
Some fishes like the catfish is reputed to become agitated prior to Earthquakes. Its often observed that they move violently or more often leap out of water onto dryland before the Earthquakes. Deap sea fishes have also been spotted close to the surface of the ocean at times of seismic activitites.

Insects
Insects such as Bees are also known to evacuate their hives before an earthquake and return back to it after 15minutes. Millipedes, ants and leeches are also know to behavior erratically before a natural disaster.
Reptiles
It is also interesting to note how reptiles such as the snake reacts too. It has been seen that some snakes leaves their underground places of hibernation in the midst of winter just before the earthquakes. Only to be found frozen on the surface of the ice later.

Understanding that Fitness is equals to the difference benefit and Cost (Fitness = Benefit - Cost) it can be understood that these animals acted on a basis where they were very sure it was more beneficial to do so. It would have proved to be costlier had they stayed or not acted as they usually would prior to a disaster.

How do they Know an Earthquake's approaching?
There are 2 Theories to how these animals know there's an approaching Natural disaster.

One theory is that these animals are able to sense the earth's vibrations. These vibrations due to seismic activities allows these animals with a much more acute sensory system to know of the prior danger.
Another theory would be that these animals are able to detect changes in the electrical charges in air or gases released by the earth.

Therefore, though there's still much research still being done on such animals' behavior. It can be seen that these animals do have an element of survival instincts. Though it might not be really obvious as to what they sense, this natural element allows them to act before we do.


NATURE | Can Animals Predict Disaster? | Earthquakes | PBS
Sources: http://youtube.com/watch?v=r4etr-z7c0g

Humans the superior species? maybe we should think again when our survival instincts are not even half as alert as the rest of the animal kingdom.




Related Links:
Etho-Geological Forecasting - Unusual animal behavior and Earthquake prediction
Can animals sense Natural Disasters?
Natural Geographic News - Can animals sense Earthquakes?
 
Video Sources:
How did animals in Thailand know the tsunami was coming? - Youtube
NATURE | Can Animals Predict Disaster? | Earthquakes | PBS - Youtube

by CHOO SHU HONG on 21-Mar-08 08:16 PM
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