Editing Earthquake prediction (section)

==== Animal behavior ====
After an earthquake has already begun, pressure waves ([[P wave]]s) travel twice as fast as the more damaging shear waves ([[s wave]]s).<ref>{{Harvnb|Bolt|1993|pp=30–32}}.</ref> Typically not noticed by humans, some animals may notice the smaller vibrations that arrive a few to a few dozen seconds before the main shaking, and become alarmed or exhibit other unusual behavior.<ref name="usgs_animals">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/animals-earthquake-prediction?qt-science_center_objects=0|title=Animals & Earthquake Prediction &#124; U.S. Geological Survey|publisher=United States Geological Survey}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|ICEF|2011|p=336}}; {{Harvnb|Lott|Hart|Howell|1981|p=1204}}.</ref> [[Seismometer]]s can also detect P waves, and the timing difference is exploited by electronic [[earthquake warning system]]s to provide humans with a few seconds to move to a safer location.

A review of scientific studies available as of 2018 covering over 130 species found insufficient evidence to show that animals could provide warning of earthquakes hours, days, or weeks in advance.<ref name="2018_review">{{Cite journal|last1=Woith|first1=Heiko|last2=Petersen|first2=Gesa M.|last3=Hainzl|first3=Sebastian|last4=Dahm|first4=Torsten|url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article-abstract/108/3A/1031/530275/Review-Can-Animals-Predict-Earthquakes-Review-Can?redirectedFrom=fulltext|title=Review: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?|journal=[[Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America]]|date=June 2018|volume=108|number=3A|pages=1031-1045|doi=10.1785/0120170313}}</ref> Statistical correlations suggest some reported unusual animal behavior is due to smaller earthquakes ([[foreshock]]s) that sometimes precede a large quake,<ref name="society">{{Cite web|url=https://www.seismosoc.org/news/can-animals-predict-earthquakes/|title=Can Animals Predict Earthquakes? &#124; Seismological Society of America|publisher=Seismological Society of America}}</ref> which if small enough may go unnoticed by people.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lott|Hart|Howell|1981}}.</ref> Foreshocks may also cause groundwater changes or release gases that can be detected by animals.<ref name="society" /> Foreshocks are also detected by seismometers, and have long been studied as potential predictors, but without success (see [[#Seismicity patterns]]). Seismologists have not found evidence of medium-term physical or chemical changes that predict earthquakes which animals might be sensing.<ref name="2018_review" />

Anecdotal reports of strange animal behavior before earthquakes have been recorded for thousands of years.<ref name="usgs_animals" /> Some unusual animal behavior may be mistakenly attributed to a near-future earthquake. The [[flashbulb memory]] effect causes unremarkable details to become more memorable and more significant when associated with an emotionally powerful event such as an earthquake.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brown|Kulik|1977}}.</ref> Even the vast majority of scientific reports in the 2018 review did not include observations showing that animals did ''not'' act unusually when there was ''not'' an earthquake about to happen, meaning the behavior was not established to be predictive.<ref name="society" />

Most researchers investigating animal prediction of earthquakes are in China and Japan.<ref name="usgs_animals" /> Most scientific observations have come from the [[2010 Canterbury earthquake]] in New Zealand, the [[1984 Nagano earthquake]] in Japan, and the [[2009 L'Aquila earthquake]] in Italy.<ref name="society" />

Animals known to be [[magnetoreception|magnetoreceptive]] might be able to detect [[electromagnetic waves]] in the [[ultra low frequency]] and [[extremely low frequency]] ranges that reach the surface of the Earth before an earthquake, causing odd behavior. These electromagnetic waves could also cause air [[ionization]], water [[oxidation]] and possible water toxification which other animals could detect.<ref>{{Harvnb|Freund|Stolc|2013}}.</ref>