Days before the destructive earthquake hit Surigao del Norte last Friday, a dead 10-feet-long oarfish was found along the coast of Agusan del Norte. The incidents sparked debate among the netizens as people tried to link the two events. People speculated that the dead giant fish was a sign of the approaching calamity.
While there is still no categorical confirmation of the claim, it seemed that people who believed that the animal really predicted the earthquake, are not far from the truth
This is not the first time an animal was believed to have the ability to predict calamities. As a matter of fact, many Filipinos believe that animals have the ability to connect with nature, so they could immediately sense if there is an approaching natural catastrophe.
This theoretical claim was based on scientific evidence found by Rachel Grant, a lecturer in animal biology. According to her, oarfish prediction is possible because the earthquake causes changes in the ionic level of the water, affecting the creatures living in them.
Her study, which was conducted in Brazil and published in the journal Physics and Chemistry of the Earth in 2015, presented a scientific basis for the claim that animals could predict calamities, specifically earthquakes. Grant's team detected disturbances in the ionosphere weeks before an earthquake strike. This caused a release of ions in the atmosphere which changes the behavior of the animals. This supported their conclusion that the animals' behavior changes when an earthquake approaches. In short, they claim that animals can really predict calamities.
Another study supported these findings. A study conducted by Friedemann T. Freund, senior research scientist at the non-profit SETI Institute, claimed that animals are able to detect P-waves or primary waves which arrive earlier than the S-waves or secondary waves. P-waves are the earthquake's first seismic waves. This is the reason why they act confused and abnormally before an earthquake. Because of this, he claimed that the animals' strange behavior could be a possible indication of an approaching calamity.
Moreover, a Japanese seismologist also claimed that fishes living in the deepest part of the oceans are more sensitive to fault movements than those of fishes found in the surface of the sea.
These scientific explanations could be foundations of further studies that could confirm the animals' ability to predict an earthquake.
Despite these numerous explanations, the scientific community's stance is still divided. This claim requires more scientific evidence before it could be confirmed.
However, people are still being warned of the possibility that this catastrophe might happen again anytime soon.
It is still safer to be always alert and ready.
Do you believe that animals can really detect calamities? Let us know your insights!
Source: TNP , Peanutdaily
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