Can animals, some people’s headaches, etc. help predict earthquakes?
Throughout history, there have been many anecdotal reports of animals exhibiting unusual behavior prior to large earthquakes. There are a few documented cases, however, mostly in China (for example, the Haicheng earthquake in 1975). The earthquakes that were successfully predicted in China had many foreshocks. The animals described may have sensed the foreshocks. In any case, unusual animal behavior can be difficult to interpret. If animals are shown to somehow be able to sense earthquake precursors, instruments are likely to do a more reliable job of it.
