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Earthquake-Detecting Toads of the Day: According to a new study by a team from NASA and the British Open University, there may be scientific evidence that animals can detect impending earthquakes. (PDF.)
The study was inspired by a 2009 incident in Italy, where a colony of 96 toads abandoned a pond just days before an earthquake. Researchers suspected a chemical effect may have allowed the toads to predict the quake.
Their theory is that putting stress on tectonic plates activates oxygen ions called “positive holes,” which make their way to the surface and ionize the air, as well as turning water to hydrogen peroxide.
Some animals, like the toads, are sensitive enough to notice that slight chemical imbalance, which causes them to evacuate before the quake actually hits.
As for using animals as earthquake warning signals, there’s no guarantee that it will work, but it could be valuable as one possible sign of a quake.
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