Five Scientifically Weird Things That Predict Disaster
Over many decades of scientific inquiry, we’ve landed on a few reliable methods of predicting disaster: seismic activity, weather patterns, the announcement of a new Zack Snyder movie, etc. But these disasters also have weird side effects that we never see coming unless we know to look for them.
Earthquake Lights
Have you ever seen eerie flashes of colored lightning around the same time as an earthquake? Some scientists believe they’re caused by electrical currents created by ruptured tectonic faults, meaning those currents can be used to identify where quakes will strike. If nothing else, they’re awfully pretty.
Tsunami Elephants
You’ve probably heard someone insist that their dog can predict earthquakes, and while the jury is still out on Fido’s seismological usefulness, large animals like elephants can definitely sense low-frequency vibrations in the ground preceding tsunamis before humans can. One elephant even saved the life of the little girl who happened to be riding him before the 2004 Thailand tsunami struck. Isn’t that heartwarming?
Hurricane Sharks
Likewise, if you’re out on the water and you notice sharks retreating to deeper waters, it’s not because they think you would taste gross. Sharks can sense drops in barometric pressure preceding hurricanes, so they head for safer, deeper waters before they strike. And they probably don’t think about you at all.
Receding Shorelines
If you’re ever at the beach and the shoreline suddenly pulls back as if the tide decided to quit and chase its dream of Broadway stardom, run. You know how you pull back your fist before you punch something? It’s kind of like that but for tsunamis. Don’t even stop to explain this to other beachgoers. Just scream “RUN!” and head for higher ground.
Doomsday Fish
It’s extremely rare to see an oarfish, also known as the doomsday fish, washed up on the beach. Since they dwell in such a deep part of the ocean, their appearance usually means there’s something messed up happening down there, like an earthquake or a tsunami, hence the nickname. Incidentally, three of them have washed up in California this year. But that probably doesn’t mean anything.