3 ms·
It could be a form of infrasound, and maybe in a pattern which isn't readily detected by seismographs.
by bayesian_horse 8y ago
It could be a form of infrasound, and maybe in a pattern which isn't readily detected by seismographs.
- InclinedPlane 8y agoThat would be my (completely unsubstantiated) guess as well. Animals, including humans, are surprisingly sensitive to infrasound, but there hasn't been a ton of research on the subject so far.
- SirLuxuryYacht 8y agoSeismometers have precision on the order of ppb. Considering that there is no acoustic energy released prior to an earthquake, an infrasound precursor is extremely unlikely and something that seismologists would have already characterized.
- hashmap 8y agohttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5615297/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5615297/ This study says earthquake precursor movements send signals into the ionosphere, that cause other signals to propagate to earth, which can make objects vibrate audibly, minutes or possibly hours before the main shock. It argues this may be what animals are hearing. Rube Goldberg if true.
- bayesian_horse 8y agoWhich is the reason why I said "a pattern" not readily recognized. The condition detected by the animal would not be a specific signal strength or frequency, but rather a more complicated pattern.