Electromagnetism: The Clue to Predicting Earthquakes?

Written by PSI staff on August 27, 2016. Posted in Current News

In the aftermath of last Wednesday’s horror of the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that shocked Italy, a mass funeral has taken place for some of the 290 people killed in the tragedy at the town of Arquata. While the USGS estimates that several million earthquakes occur in the world each year, this begs the question – can science get us any closer to predicting the worst of such catastrophic events? ring of quakes

Veteran science writer, Edsel Chromie, has studied this subject for decades and brings his own unique insight to this question. Chromie first directs our attention back to 1985 and a University of California, Berkeley conference, which saw researchers from Greece describing how they monitor Earth’s natural electromagnetic fields to predict quakes.

At the event Penaylotia Varootaos, of the University of Athens reported to a fascinated audience: “There is a long-duration electrical anomaly before an earthquake.” [1] Then, in 1989, shortly before the Loma Prieta quake, Stanford researcher, Tony Frazer-Smith detected an unusual surge in electromagnetic activity on the peninsula (Fraser-Smith et al. 1990). Fraser-Smith et al. remains one of the most frequently cited examples of a specific earthquake precursor. Since then many researchers have pursued a path to determine whether electromagnetism is a key to this unrelenting problem.

Edsel Chromie recalled his own published work. On October 17, 1980 his article, “When the Earth Moves” featured in The Daily Californian. In it Chromie suggests it is perfectly plausible that: “The root cause of weather and natural Earth processes is heretofore unnoticed electromagnetic loops, or fields, inside and outside the Earth.”

After reading the story a prominent local geologist came forward to point out that it was principally tectonic plate theory that best explains how the earth’s continental plates are sliding past each other – when they become stuck they can suddenly break loose (see USGS image above). It is this violent shift that causes earthquakes.

But the theory is silent on earthquake prediction, as Chromie observed, “This does not explain why the shift occurs in only a few miles of the plates and where the tremendous energy comes from to cause this sliding or any other movement.”

The veteran researcher believes that it cannot be gravity alone at work because gravity pulls downward. “It cannot be centrifugal force because the Pacific Plate is moving against the centrifugal force.”

While no one disputes that earthquake prediction is an immature science—no successful precise prediction of an earthquake from first physical principles has yet occurred – research into methods of prediction therefore must continue to focus on empirical analysis, with two general approaches: either identifying distinctive precursors to earthquakes, or identifying some kind of geophysical trend or pattern in seismicity that might precede a large earthquake.

For Chriomie what is a recurrent curiosity is an eerie glow that appears just above the ground just before a strong earthquake. Geologists attribute the glow to the friction of the soil and rocks as they move past each other. However, in a report by the scientists with the U. S. Geological Survey in 1985 it was said:

“The puzzling lights could be generated by frictional heating in the earthquake fault. But one geologist (Byerlee) said that sightings at sea would indicate there must be other causes of the lights operating in different circumstances. The light at sea demand some other explanation because the high electrical conductivity of sea water would neutralize the forces we are talking about in our theory.”

Chromie continues: “Scientists finally began to recognize that it was a magnetic field on the Sun that created the largest explosion in the solar system. And this is also what -creates the greatest movement of the Earth in an earthquake.”

Looking to make sense of how such forces might interact Chromie looked to laboratory experiments for help. One such experiment that seemed to bear fruit was recorded in the early 1900’s. It explained that if you hold a three feet long iron pipe perpendicular to the ground but slightly tilted toward the North, the Earth’s magnetic field will align the polarity of all of the molecules in the pipe in one direction creating a magnet.

Chromie reports, “Thereafter, when you then move the pipe out of that position, the polarity will return to random positions. However, if you hold the pipe in the tilted position and strike the pipe a sharp blow with a hammer, this will “set” the polarity of the molecules to make a permanent magnet with the customary magnetic field around it.”

From that it is possible to then spin this magnetic field against another magnetic field created in the same way to generate electricity. Incidentally, this is another instance where a magnetic field will create another magnetic field without any movement of ionized particles.

Noting that the early 20^th century was a time when much interest revolved around the potential applications of electricity there were further experiments conducted at that time that also seemed relevant in linking electromagnetism to earthquakes.

“Another experiment in the early 1900’s proved that if a stick of sealing wax is rubbed with wool, it can be made to attract a ball of pith suspended on a silk thread. After clinging to the wax for a time, the ball will be vigorously repelled. A glass rod rubbed with silk attracts the ball and then repels it; but two glass rods rubbed with silk repels each other.”

Observers noted: “There is no difference between static electricity and an electric current except those properties which the latter acquires by reason of the motion of the electrons”.

To Edsel Chromie it seemed perfectly reasonable to deduce that aforementioned iron pipe experiment proves the Earth’s magnetic field can align the random polarity of minerals in the Earth in a uniform direction.

“And the ball of pith experiment seems to explain the violent repulsion of minerals of like magnetic field polarity.”

For Chromie these laboratory-proven principles show that the Earth’s magnetic field can and will align particles within the Earth’s tectonic plates to produce areas where two separate plates each have charges of like polarity.

And, when the energy of these two charges of like polarity become excessive in two adjacent plates, they will violently repel each other in the attempt to realign their polarity to the acceptable and natural positive and negative relationship.

“The buildup of static electricity is not concentrated only in the exact area of where the movement occurs but in the same general area. If you hold two small magnets and bring them together with their like poles facing each other, you can see how violently they try to adjust their polarity in the natural positive to negative position,” he adds.

It can be up and down in defiance to the pull of gravity or side to side. But even in magnets only a few inches in size, it is difficult to prevent the power of the magnets to switch their positions.

Chromie continues, “I have been conducting a demonstration anyone can use to prove that a weak magnetic field current will generate the very same glow of an earthquake, which has been observed numerous times.”

For this, the veteran researcher says that if you rub an ordinary plastic store bag briskly with your bare hand for ten seconds, it will generate a charge of static electricity in both the bag and your hand. “

“Then, if you move either your hand or the bag near a fluorescent tube in a dark room, the magnetic field surrounding the static electricity will stimulate the gases within the fluorescent tube to a glowing state of excitement. I would like to emphasize that this static electricity is too weak to be measured by any instruments other than an ordinary compass. But the very clear visual glow it creates proves without a doubt that it is real and capable of creating very bizarre visual effects. The powerful static electricity that causes an earthquake will generate the very same glow in the gases just above its intense energy. This is the only way the glow can be created before any movement is noticed.”

Electromagnetism certainly seems to be a recurrent interest to scientists struggling to understand how our universe operates. In a “History” program titled “Magnetic Storm” scientists admitted: “Magnetic storms are the most powerful forces in our solar system and they have been nearly completely overlooked by scientists.” [2]

To an increasing number of researcher like Chromie the only energy that can produce this awesome power and not affect everything else in the vicinity is the magnetic field surrounding an abnormal charge of static electricity.

Chromie leaves us with this final thought: “The static electricity generated in my demonstration proves that it is this static electricity that both generates the eerie glow and the incredible power to move the awesome amount of earth and buildings. In addition, the waves of the earth can be seen during strong earthquakes that even causes cement surfaces to flex with the waves without cracking. Electromagnetic energy can cause cement to ripple without cracking by adjusting the electromagnetic bond between adjacent particles.”

[1] Varotsos, Alexopoulos & Nomicos 1981, described by Mulargia & Gasperini 1992, p. 32, and Kagan 1997b, §3.3.1, p. 512.

[2] History.Channel.The.Universe.S05E03.Magnetic.Storm www.pisothshow.com (accessed online: August 27, 2016)