Many of us remember our parents and grandparents running to the television to watch the weather forecast after the evening news. Now our smart phones have weather forecast services. But an important issue is the accuracy of such weather forecasting.
Authors of the Phanerozoic community: biologist and ecologist Evgeniy Budko, as well as the head of the Phanerozoic project, biologist Efimov Samir
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Improving the accuracy of forecasting weather phenomena, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions is one of the main tasks in the work of scientists and practitioners. This is due to the fact that droughts and floods, devastating storms and sea storms can bring considerable trouble to humanity. The science of bionics offers a look at living organisms. Thus, since ancient times, hundreds if not thousands of years before the invention of the barometer, people have noted changes in the weather using certain empirical “omens.” For example, so-called "folk meteorology" was based on the observations of villagers who were among nature, plants and animals and were accustomed to recognizing their behavior. Such forecasting is based on the extremely subtle sense of some animals, which anticipate changes in the atmosphere sometimes 15-20 hours before they begin.
Let's plunge into the world of living barometers and seismographs and find out how living organisms manage to predict natural phenomena with such accuracy.
▍ A little physiology
For successful survival, living organisms need to constantly receive information about the state of their environment and adequately respond to its changes. This allows organisms to maintain a constant internal environment, homeostasis, and thereby survive. Obtaining information about the environment is facilitated by one of the basic properties of living organisms - irritability.
Irritability is the property of an organism or an individual cell to respond to changes in the environment (external and internal). This is a property that allows the body to optimally adapt its vital functions to various conditions. Cells are able to perceive various physical and chemical signals and convert them into electrical impulses. The strength of the signal perceived by the cell is known as the threshold.
The interaction of the animal body with the external environment is carried out by sensory organs, or analyzers. For example, in humans and other vertebrates, each analyzer consists of three parts. The first is the peripheral part
, which receives energy from external stimuli and converts it into nerve impulses (receptor cells).
The second part is the pathways
along which the nerve impulse follows to the nerve center.
The third part is the cortical end of the analyzer (sensory center)
, which is located in the corresponding areas of the cerebral cortex [].
digital electronics computing embedded systems
DIY seismic sensor on Arduino and ADXL335
Sometimes they say: “Prevention is better than cure.” This statement is great for events whose probability is quite high. Earthquake especially in some earthquake prone areas of the globe is one such disaster that comes like an ill fate and sweeps away precious human lives and infrastructure, it is an unpredictable destructive phenomenon but at least we can take measures to minimize the adverse impact of its consequences . In this regard, the latest technologies play a vital role.
This material presents a project for a seismic activity monitoring device that can report an earthquake some time before it starts. To achieve our goals, we use an Arduino board and a highly sensitive ADXL335 accelerometer.
The ADXL335 accelerometer in this case works as a sensor to detect vibrations and allows you to predict the occurrence of an earthquake. The device is capable of recording vibrations along three axes of space (X, Y and Z), which makes it more sensitive. The ADXL335 generates an analog voltage equivalent to the acceleration imposed on it by vibration. The X, Y and Z axes pins are connected to the ADC pins of the Arduino Uno board.
Arduino Uno compares voltage levels. In earthquake cases where the rock movement is excessive, sufficiently large signals are detected and the Arduino activates warning and preventative actions. Firstly, the LED lights up and the piezo buzzer sounds to alert people around, and the relay is activated. A relay is needed to connect a more powerful load, for example, speakers or sirens, since the LED and buzzer are only suitable for home use. An LCD display is also used for informational purposes. The connection diagram for implementing a seismograph on Arduino is shown below.
The ratings of the circuit elements are as follows: R1, R2 = 10 KOhm; R3, R6 = 1 KOhm; R4, R5 = 330 Ohm; VR1 = 10 KOhm. Transistors T1 and T2 are BC548 NPN bipolar transistors.
Below is the Arduino code (sketch) for the operation of the seismic activity monitoring device. It should be noted that in this case, the microcontroller of the Arduino board receives accelerometer readings from the ADC and then stores them in EEPROM. The read threshold value is also stored in the same place, i.e., in the EEPROM, making it easier to retrieve data for comparison. In this example, the default threshold value is set to 25.
Source
▍ Medusa and her “infra-ear”
For people on land, an unexpected storm may not necessarily pose a threat to life. However, at sea things are different. Here a person is completely at the mercy of the elements. Sea hurricanes and cyclones arise unexpectedly within 10-15 minutes (the time during which the barometer can determine the decrease in atmospheric pressure and thereby the approach of a storm), during which time boats and ships have practically no opportunity to shelter from approaching adversity, but knowing the approach of a dangerous event , the crew has the opportunity to at least prepare to face the danger head-on and try to minimize the damage [3]
The barometer is an amazing thing invented by man, but what a surprise it was for bionicists and biologists when they discovered something similar in a jellyfish, which looks like a transparent gelatinous umbrella. Even with a fairly simple structure, these animals can perceive infrasonic vibrations (8-13 vibrations per minute), which arise when waves move in contact with atmospheric air. The jellyfish has a bladder filled with liquid, in which pebbles float, supported by nerve filaments. The “infraear” of a jellyfish is its organ of balance. Such vesicles - statocysts, or as they are also called, “auditory cones”, usually hang on a stalk [].
The oscillating waves exert pressure on the pebbles, which transmit impulses to the nerves. When fluctuations exceed a certain threshold, known as the storm threshold, the jellyfish takes protective measures: it moves away from the shore, where it can be thrown out and crushed by waves, to depths where there is no such stimulation as in the sea or on the surface of the ocean [].
Characteristics
Modern seismographs are capable of detecting and measuring the amplitude of vibrations in three planes. When measuring vibration velocity, seismographs have a measurement frequency range from 0.3 to 500 Hz, with a vibration velocity measurement range from 0.0002 to 20 mm/s. Seismographs can be either portable or stationary. The latter are made in large sizes and are installed specifically once and for the entire service life. Portable ones can be reinstalled in a specific place depending on the area. All modern models are equipped with software interfaces and directly transfer all their measurements to a database on a computer.
▍ Fish seismographs
In Japan there are fish that “specialize” in this field. From the point of view of sellers, such fish exhibit noticeable activity not only in their natural habitat, but also in aquariums and water banks. Therefore, such fish - “seismograph” - are bred in special pools and sold at a high price in seismic regions of Japan. It is interesting that the behavior of such fish is monitored by local residents. However, what does science tell us about this?
In 1932, biologists Hatai Shinkishi and Abe Noboru from Tohoku University experimented with catfish by pressing on a table on which an aquarium was located. So, such “bullying” of the whiskered fish did not bother them at all. However, interestingly, about six hours before the earthquake, the catfish were excitedly jumping or knocking on the walls of the aquarium, trying to escape the glass cage. Since the fish only showed these reactions when the tank was electrically grounded, Hatai and Abe hypothesized that the physical cause was fluctuations in underground electrical properties before the earthquake. This phenomenon was also noticed by Yasuo Suehiro, a professor at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Tokyo. In the 1960s and 1970s, this eminent ichthyologist and son of the equally eminent seismologist Suehiro Kyoji, studied the response of fish to earthquakes. He concluded that dozens of different species of fish exhibited "hysterical" behavior from minutes to days before the earthquakes. In addition, Suehiro observed animals in nature. He discovered that deep-sea forms of living organisms appeared in shallow waters a day or two days before earthquakes. Although such Japanese studies have often been limited to a small number of case studies and laboratory experiments, it is noteworthy that some of them were based on systematic, long-term, and careful observation of specific animal species. These studies have not yet been refuted []
Since the beginning of 2022, up to a dozen individuals of the species known as oarfish have been found on Japanese shores. These fish live in the depths of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Since oar fish are rarely (if ever) caught alive and healthy by humans, it stands to reason that these sightings have caused a stir in the East Asian country. For centuries, these fish were believed to predict strong earthquakes. But to what extent this corresponds to reality still remains a question.
To be fair, it should be noted that before earthquakes, oar fish stay awake and stay outside their habitats (near underwater mounds) all night, which they never do. Some scientists speculate that these animals may be detecting changes in gas emissions or shifts in the Earth's magnetic field. Unfortunately, the scientific consensus states that accurately predicting the location, magnitude, and timing of an earthquake—whether using animals or technology—is impossible.
Ancient times
The creator of the first seismograph was born in Nanyang (Henan Province). Even as a child, Han showed a love for science. Over the years, he entered Chinese history and did a lot of useful things for astronomy and mathematics. Historical notes of that time indicate that this inventor was calm and balanced and tried to keep a low profile. In addition to his passion for science, Zhang Heng knew how to write poetry.
Inventor of the seismograph
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Earthquake – imbalance between Yin and Yang
In ancient times, it was believed that earthquakes were a very unkind sign and the wrath of heaven. In ancient Chinese philosophy, a special teaching was even invented that examined the balance between the two forces of Yin and Yang. Naturally, this science could not do without explaining such a phenomenon as an earthquake. According to the Chinese of that time, the earth was shaking for a reason, but because of a global imbalance.
Why do earthquakes sometimes occur, the force of which can lead to disaster? Everything was attributed to the wrong decisions of the Chinese rulers. Have taxes increased? Heaven will punish China with an earthquake! War started? Expect trouble! A large percentage of the earthquakes that occurred then were meticulously described. Historians considered it important to write about everything that happened on such an unfavorable day.
Thanks to Zhang Heng's research, it was found that earthquakes are a natural phenomenon that can be known about in advance. For this purpose he created a seismograph.
▍ Experience with other animal seismographs
Inspired by successful Japanese research, the Chinese scientific community, with the support of the government, organized full-scale studies of animals, not only fish, but also other organisms in order to warn people about earthquakes. Thus, starting in 1966, thousands of animal behavior monitoring stations began operating in China. Stables, zoos, dairy farms, and scientific laboratories have added earthquake monitoring to their regular operations. Now even ordinary people who came into contact with animals were obliged to observe and record their behavior in a field diary - an important thing in any biologist’s campaign. When ordinary people noticed something unusual, they had to report these things to scientists. Because China experienced frequent and large earthquakes at the time, researchers avidly took advantage of ordinary people to collect data through fieldwork, mainly through extensive surveys and interviews after the earthquakes.
After ten years of research, Chinese scientists seemed to have learned everything they needed to know about animal behavior and the connection between their behavior and earthquakes. They recognized the influence of weather, seasonal changes, life cycle and several other factors on the behavior of certain animals. The researchers concluded that certain activities of some animals appear to be better predictors of earthquakes than others. It seemed that this knowledge brought success. So, on July 24, 1968, at the Baichikou experimental station, where they studied the behavior of cats, scientists recorded abnormal breathing rhythms of these animals, which changed noticeably. Less than 100 miles away, the pigeons at the Hongshan Experimental Station looked scared and flapping their wings frantically. Based on these incidents, researchers predicted that an M4 earthquake would occur within 24 hours. Sure enough, the next morning there was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake.
Similarly, on September 17, 1968, researchers predicted an M4 earthquake within 48 hours based on the behavior of cats and pigeons at the stations. Nature did not disappoint and the following night an M4.2 earthquake occurred. Almost a year later, on July 18, 1969, keepers of the Tianjin People's Zoo noticed that many of the animals under their care were behaving unusually:
the Manchurian tiger seemed lethargic and was not eating; the giant panda was dozing, holding his front paws above his head and making threatening sounds; the deer jumped in fright; and the swans did not come out of the water.
Alarmed zoo employees called the city seismological service, and two hours later an earthquake occurred.
Perhaps the most successful earthquake prediction is the Haicheng County earthquake (M7.3, February 4, 1975), which delighted Chinese seismologists. Ten years of dedication and hard work had finally paid off. Scientists predicted an earthquake and thanks to their work, the authorities evacuated the entire city in advance, thereby managing to save tens of thousands of lives. Imagine how great this event was: timely warning; large-scale evacuation; a powerful earthquake that destroyed many buildings, but the population was unharmed! An event of truly global significance.
▍ But... Something went wrong...
Unfortunately, the excitement and growing confidence among the scientific community were short-lived. The following year, a powerful earthquake (M7.8, July 27, 1976) destroyed an industrial city just 100 miles from Beijing. The disaster killed a quarter of a million people and shocked the nation's conscience, thereby dealing a blow to Chinese seismology and animal science. This earthquake occurred in the most heavily monitored province in Tangshan. A huge number of scientific stations with cats, pigeons, dogs, as well as farms, stables and zoos constantly collected data about the region. Thus, seismological stations and observation posts covered the entire territory.
But why didn’t Chinese seismologists notice the approaching disaster right under their noses? Weren't there warning signs? What about abnormal animal behavior?
A day after the earthquake, researchers from the Institute of Biophysics already arrived in the affected region and began field work. They distributed questionnaires to all work units at the county, commune, and production team levels. With the support of local authorities, the researchers conducted a large-scale, comprehensive study. It turned out that scientists actually recorded abnormal behavior in animals, but only a few hours before the earthquake in Tangshan. These were not days or even weeks, as was the case with Haicheng, i.e. it was a very short period of time, during which it would have been very difficult to quickly prepare for a disaster. Of course, the damage could have been minimized if scientists had reported the discovered anomaly immediately. However, the human factor was also to blame.
Before the Haicheng earthquake, there were weeks of intensive inspections and reports, there were numerous and obvious seismic signs in the behavior of animals, and therefore people were more vigilant, more nervous and more concentrated. Therefore, they quickly interpreted unusual phenomena. However, in Taishan the opposite was true. There were no obvious signs of seismic activity, there was no strict reporting or inspection, and unusual animal behavior was recorded at night when people wanted to sleep. For such subtle and ambiguous phenomena as animal behavior, any psychological tendency can be decisive. In any case, a powerful earthquake crept up on a large city at the most vulnerable moment - at night. Apparently, many animals have long sensed its quiet and threatening approach, but too few people, including seismologists, heeded their warnings [].
19th century
In 1862, the book “The Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857: Basic Principles of Seismological Observations” was published by the Irish engineer Robert Malet. Malet made an expedition to Italy and drew up a map of the affected territory, dividing it into four zones. The zones introduced by Malet represent the first, rather primitive, scale of shaking intensity. But seismology as a science began to develop only with the widespread appearance and introduction into practice of instruments for recording ground vibrations, i.e., with the advent of scientific seismometry.
In 1855, Italian Luigi Palmieri invented a seismograph capable of recording distant earthquakes. It operated on the following principle: during an earthquake, mercury was spilled from a spherical volume into a special container, depending on the direction of vibration. The contact indicator with the container stopped the clock, indicating the exact time, and triggered a recording of ground vibrations on the drum.
▍ So are there animal seismographs?
Of course, no self-respecting scientist would consider the possibility of a mythical connection between oarfish, cats and pigeons and earthquakes. Actually, they don’t need this, because there is a completely rational, scientific explanation, without “extrasensory abilities”!
Many of the animals being studied can sense vibrations from the ground and changes in electromagnetic fields. For example, rats, dogs and cats detect changes using vibrations, and pigeons have a kind of magnetic “navigator” in their beak and an infrasonic “sensor” in the brain that allows them to detect vibrations below 10 hertz. Thus, pigeons learn about impending storms, earthquakes, weather changes and wind direction. As for the oarfish, one Japanese seismic ecologist told the Japan Times that deep-sea fish that live near the seafloor, such as the oarfish, are more sensitive to the movement of active fault lines. Other experts have linked the stranded fish to electromagnetic changes that occur during tectonic activity associated with the same faults, meaning there may indeed be a connection between the two [].
One way or another, in our time, after the tragic incident in Taishan, scientists are somewhat skeptical about predicting earthquakes using animals [4]. Unfortunately, even Chinese scientists are increasingly claiming that the Haicheng earthquake was also predicted by chance. And as stated above, the scientific consensus around the world now states that accurately predicting the location, strength, and timing of an earthquake—whether using animals or technology—is impossible.
▍ Primrose and volcanic eruptions
Volcanologists claim that primroses are able to predict volcanic eruptions. Biologists suggest that the “prophetic” ability of the flower is caused by the effect of ultrasound. Powerful tremors of the earth's crust are always preceded by very weak vibrations of the earth's crust of various frequencies, including ultrasonic ones. They accelerate the movement of nutrients through the capillaries of the plant, intensify metabolic processes, and primrose blooms shortly before volcanic eruptions.
▍ Conclusions
- High accuracy of weather forecasting today also remains an important task for researchers and practicing meteorologists. The science of bionics offers a look at living organisms.
- Animals are relatively unprotected from the elements. Therefore, during the course of evolution, they developed special sense organs that respond to weather changes.
- Plants can also respond sensitively to environmental changes.
- Despite the fact that living organisms have learned to sense with high accuracy the onset of unfavorable weather conditions, people have not yet learned to read this data from their behavior with the same accuracy.
- Despite the unsuccessful experience, which at one time cast doubt on the use of animals as living seismographs, biophysicists still make optimistic forecasts that, based on the study of living organisms, it will be possible to create more accurate instruments for weather forecasting. This will help predict the weather early, which can be vital for many people.
I would like to believe that the experience in Haicheng was not an accident, but how close our faith is to the truth will only be shown by scientific experience, knowledge and time. Biologists of the Phanerozoic community were with you: Evgeniy Budko and Samir Efimov. We wish you happiness, success and health in the New Year! Take care of yourself and your loved ones. See you again!
Sources
1. Zinchuk V.V., Balbatun O.A., Emelyanchik Yu.M. Normal physiology. Short course. Textbook allowance. — Minsk: Vysh. school, 2010. - 431 pp.: ill. ISBN 978-985-06-1804-7. 2. Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency noise underwater sources Statocysts of medusae and evolution of stereocilia 3. Oprish T. Entertaining bionics 4. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039368118301419?casa_token=P_9piJ-6k7AAAAAA 5. This elusive fish believed to be a predictor of earthquakes keeps washing up on Japanese shores
