Introduction

 “Earthquake Precursor Experiments”, seeks to involve interested persons in the research, design, development and construction of sensors to detect various phenomena known or suspected to precede earthquakes.

  Another integrated element of the project would be to design and develop a data collection system for the sensors, which would collect and forward their data via existing amateur radio packet networks.  The sensors would then be deployed in locations optimized for the detection of the precursor phenomena, and the data collection network would send the information to central sites for analysis and archival.

  Many researchers in this relatively new discipline of earthquake precursor physics have cited the need for networks to capture various phenomena associated with earthquake preparation.  Observations thus far have largely been fortuitous, collected with instruments designed for other purposes and confined to a small area.  It is a broad goal of this project to stimulate development of such networks by amateurs.

  The initial impetus for the project was “The Amateur Scientist” column of May 1996, entitled “Detecting Natural Electromagnetic Waves”.  The article described a magnetometer, built with hand tools, which could detect the ULF (Ultra Low Frequency) signals attributed to some earthquakes in the preparation phase.  The work of Dr. Jack Dea was cited as a foundation for experiments that could be undertaken with this homebuilt magnetometer.

Our project expanded the scope to include other precursor signals, beyond the ULF phenomena described in Shawn Carlson's 1996 column in Scientific American.  Other candidate precursor signals include various soil gases known to appear before earthquakes.  Some of these have been identified as radon, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium and mercury vapor.  Still other precursors that might be detected with amateur built sensors are anomalies of the atmospheric electric field, the near-earth atmospheric ion count, the ionosphere and earth currents. Yet others are electrostatic phenomena, subsurface temperature increases, soil gas mobility, changes in the night airglow spectral properties and ground tilt.

Design of sensors that might detect these precursor possibilities would necessarily cross into a number of different disciplines of science, and could challenge SAS members worldwide to contribute in a meaningful way to this frontier where little is known or understood.

Participants in the project, either in a hands-on or advisory role, include Hank Burwash, Joe Cascarano, Dr. Jack Dea, Dr. Joseph DiVerdi, Tim Dolan, Jim Gray, Jim Hannon, Joe Krigbaum, Stan Martins, David Scott and Sam Stanifer.  Others supporting the project with offers to site our equipment on their property include Steve Bartlett, Phil Brittain, Phil Culbert and Bruce Vail.