Posted on 05/09/2006 5:23:58 PM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu
Concentrations of the natural pigment chlorophyll in coastal waters have been shown to rise prior to earthquakes.
These chlorophyll increases are due to blooms of plankton, which use the pigment to convert solar energy to chemical energy via photosynthesis.
A joint US-Indian team of researchers analysed satellite data on ocean coastal areas lying near the epicentres of four recent quakes.
Details of the research appear in the journal Advances in Space Research.
They say that monitoring peaks in chlorophyll could provide early information on an impending earthquake.
The authors say the chlorophyll blooms are linked to a release of thermal energy prior to an earthquake.
This causes the sea surface temperature to rise and increases the surface latent heat flux - the amount of energy moving from the surface to the air due to evaporation.
And in turn, there is enhanced upwelling - the process by which cold, nutrient-rich water is transported from the deep sea to the surface.
In bloom
Upwelling boosts phytoplankton productivity and gives rise to blooms, which can be seen as increased concentrations of chlorophyll, specifically, the type called chlorophyll-a.
The grinding of plate tectonics essentially couples the temperature of the land with that of the ocean, creating the conditions for plankton to thrive.
Man amongst rubble during Gujarat earthquake Image: AP The 6.9 magnitude Gujarat quake caused widespread devastation "I do not think scientists expected such anomalous behaviour of [chlorophyll-a]," co-author Dr Ramesh Singh of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India, said.
"If the epicentre of a quake lies very close to the coast then anomalous [chlorophyll-a] concentrations are clearly visible along that coast."
The researchers used as case studies four recent earthquakes in Gujarat, India (2001), Algeria (2002), the Andaman Islands (2002) and Bam, Iran (2003).
Using satellite images and measurements of sea temperatures, they found a correlation between peaks in chlorophyll and proximity to an impending earthquake.
The amount of "advance notice" depended on the ocean depth and proximity to the epicentre of the quake, with the second factor taking precedence.
In the event of heavy cloud cover preventing satellites from monitoring chlorophyll production, sea temperatures could serve as a parallel means of information on impending earthquakes, argue the researchers.
FINALLY! A "study" that produced some truly interesting data. This is facinating.
Interesting but why not just measure the water temperature directly rather than indirectly via plankton. I do really wonder about this though if the water has any real depth at all and any currents a little ground heat would dissapate throughout the ocean water.
And on a lighter note if increasing temps signal an earthquake then perhaps global warming is a sign that the whole planets about to explode ?
Do they say anything about the time scale of this? I assume the change takes place over months.
LOL. it is fascinating.
Ping
I suspect it turns out to be a crock. There are thousands of plankton blooms all over the oceans every year, virtually all of which are not associated with earthquakes.
No mention of the identities of any of the scientists and I can't find an abstract or text to the article.
Ah, it's an assortment of people I've not heard of from George Mason.
There's a massive graveyard of people who thought they had earthquakes figured out, who turned out not to have. I'd be deeply, deeply skeptical of this one.
Hey - no Bashing my alma mater!
That's what I was thinking too. The plankton aren't reacting to the earthquakes. They're causing them. Deliberately. And once land-bound civilization is brought to its knees, they'll rule the world.
ping
bfl, thanks!
Infrared cameras in orbit?
Now, now. We all have our callings. This happens to be one of his--or so it appears. Wouldn't want to rob him of any meaningful contribution to science and society. Besides, think of all the delusions he might be saving us from.
Yeah, why not sink remote thermometers into the ocean floor. Plankton don't bloom in mere minutes, there has to be some time for this to happen.
Oh no.... the enviro-whackos are going to say this "ocean warming" is all Bush's fault!
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