Earthquake clouds are types of clouds that are thought to appear before an earthquake, according to some claims. The sudden formation or distinct appearance of clouds has been interpreted by some as a visual sign that an earthquake is approaching. Throughout history, from ancient sources to modern times, there are beliefs and records in some cultures that there is a relationship between earthquakes and unusual cloud formations observed before an earthquake. However, the scientific community has had difficulty finding concrete evidence that these clouds provide real earthquake predictions.
earthquake cloudsWhether it is really a pre-earthquake indicator or not is still a controversial issue in the scientific world. Obtaining definitive and consistent evidence as to whether these clouds are earthquake-related remains an important area of research for the development of pre-earthquake warning systems.
This issue has also been on the agenda in ancient times. For example, chapter 32 of the work of the Indian scholar Brihat Samhita (505-587 AD), written by Varahamihira, Signs that an earthquake is approachingContains some of the. One of these symptoms is unusual cloud formations that appeared a week before the earthquake. Some today’s scientists claim that they are investigating cloud types associated with seismic events 50 days before the earthquake. Some even claim that they predicted earthquakes by examining these clouds.
Statements of Experts on Earthquake Cloud
Geoscientist Prof., who also teaches “Cloud and Precipitation Physics” and “Satellite Meteorology” courses on earthquake clouds. Dr. Miktad Kadıoğlu’s statements are as follows:
In fact, earthquake clouds are nothing new; It has been known since a thousand years ago. Regarding its features, ancient documents briefly say: “On a sunny and hot day, the sky was blue and clear. Suddenly, black clouds appeared, covering the sky like a long snake. Before an earthquake occurs, gas is released from cracks in the underground rock layers along the fault line. When this gas rises into the sky and encounters cold air, artificial and thin clouds are formed. Wherever this cloud is seen, an earthquake occurs within 76 days…”
Zonghou Shou, a retired Chinese chemist living in the USA, claims that he detected the earthquake with a 70 percent success rate based on cloud observations obtained from satellites.
Expertise Required to Interpret Clouds
Meteorology satellite images contain a lot of information and these images cannot be interpreted correctly by individuals who do not have the necessary training. In order to interpret clouds in satellite images, in-depth knowledge about clouds and their formation is required.
Cloud classification was made by Luke Howard in 1803, and it is theoretically known that there are 11,340 different types of clouds in the world today. In order to define a particular cloud among this diversity as an earthquake or normal cloud, specialized training and experience in the field of meteorology is required. Otherwise, you can easily detect many different types of clouds, such as mountain waves, cloud streets, gravity waves, and airplane and ship exhaust trails.earthquake cloudYou may misname it as ”. Therefore, it is important to remember that interpreting any cloud correctly is a complex process that requires expertise.
Satellite images taken in visible light are generally photographs of the Earth taken from near-space. Such satellite images provide information about cloud cover and show the degree of solar radiation reflected on the surface (Albedo). White areas in these images usually represent clouds, and different shades of gray represent clear sky conditions. Thick clouds generally have a higher degree of reflectivity and appear whiter than thin clouds. However, earthquake clouds observed in China and described as “black, thin and long” may not reflect much sunlight. For this reason, with meteorological satellite images taken in visible light, such “black, thin and long” clouds may not be easily detectable as white clouds.
Infrared (thermal) satellite images represent temperature values of the imaged objects. In these images, objects with higher temperatures may appear darker (black) than objects with lower temperatures. Considering that the temperature decreases from the lowest layer of the atmosphere to the top, clouds at higher altitudes are colder than clouds at lower altitudes. Therefore, low-level clouds may appear darker than higher-level clouds in thermal images, while high-altitude clouds may appear brighter (white). In this case, since the “earthquake cloud” formed at low altitude may be similar in darkness to the ground surface and low clouds, it does not appear clearly as a clear and white cloud in meteorological thermal satellite images.
Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?
The question of whether large earthquakes occur suddenly or if there is a process that triggers them and makes them predictable has remained unclear for the scientific world for a long time. However, recent scientific research shows that the majority of major earthquakes occur within a short period of time. premise minor tremorsHe revealed that it happened right after.
A study examining major earthquakes in Southern California between 2008 and 2017 found that at least 72 percent of these earthquakes had foreshocks. The study concluded that preconcussions are quite common. New data collected and analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence shows that small-scale foreshocks appear in the area where the earthquake will occur, weeks or even just days before the main earthquake.
Daniel Trugman, a seismologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and one of the leaders of the research published in the Geophysical Analysis Letters Journal, states that the findings they obtained with the processing power offered by new computers show that almost all significant earthquakes have small foreshocks that we can detect. Trugman explains that the beginning of earthquakes is based on the question “How do earthquakes start?” Emphasizing that such earthquakes are one of the most important questions of seismology, he states that before this study, it was assumed that only 50 percent of earthquakes had such foreshocks.
The new findings lead seismologists to try to understand the existence of a mathematical sequence order that can detect even medium-sized earthquakes in advance. In this context, it is thought that if a series of foreshocks is detected, people may have a period of 3 to 35 days to shelter and move away from devastating earthquakes. During this time, early warning systems and predictions based on earthquake warning signs can predict the impending arrival of a potential major earthquake, thus providing people with the opportunity to be prepared and take necessary precautions. This could be an important step towards reducing the risks posed by earthquakes and making societies more resilient to their potential impacts.
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