Many animals have the ability to sense impending danger more acutely than people. There are many evidences of how dogs saved the lives of their owners by predicting earthquakes and warning of impending natural disasters. Can dogs predict earthquakes and how do they do it?
Although dogs’ ability to predict natural disasters is well known, it is not always considered by scientists when developing earthquake forecasting methods. But many reputable institutions, such as NASA, are already conducting research to conclude that dogs can warn people of increasing seismic activity and impending cataclysm. It has been established that dogs could sense an impending earthquake even several hours before.
On April 3, 2024, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit the island of Taiwan. It caused loss of life and significant destruction. One family escaped this fate thanks to their dog, that warned them of the approaching earthquake. The surveillance camera recorded that the animal’s behavior suddenly changed a few minutes before the powerful tremors. The dog began to behave restlessly, barking loudly and forced the owners to leave the house.
Why a dog predicts earthquakes
Observing the anxious behavior of a dog in case of invisible danger, the question arises – why can a dog sense an impending earthquake, while a human cannot? The answer is not complicated. Before a seismic shock, a number of changes are observed in the structure of the soil and the environment that people in their daily activities do not notice at all. At the same time, animals with a more developed instinct of self-preservation have additional abilities to sense danger in the environment.
Dogs, like some other animals, can perceive changes and interpret them as potential danger. Thus, vibrations before an earthquake can cause changes in the chemical composition of water and air, release radon from the depths, and lead to sharp surges in the electromagnetic field. Such changes often pose a significant danger to animal health. Dogs begin to show anxiety, bark loudly and instinctively look for a safe place before an impending disaster. And low-frequency vibrations and infrasound, which accompany seismic activity in the bowels of the earth, can influence the behavior of dogs.
Despite the fact that changes in dog behavior are usually not included in the list of proven earthquake precursors by seismologists, such signs are taken seriously in potentially dangerous regions of Japan and China. Monitoring changes in the behavior of dogs and other animals allows to receive timely important information and warn the population of a seismically dangerous region using earthquake or tsunami early warning systems.
How dogs’ behavior changes before an earthquake
Dogs are able to learn about an earthquake in a short period of time before it happens. Animals do not remember information about events that have already occurred and do not know how to analyze it. Having an excellent sense of smell and increased sensitivity to low-frequency vibrations, they are able to perceive changes in the environment and interpret them as danger signals. Therefore, a few minutes before the first seismic shocks, dogs begin to get nervous, express anxiety with their movements and with incessant barking. In this way, the dog tries to warn of an approaching earthquake.
Another common action during a threat is to find a safe place to hide. Therefore, even before the earthquake begins, the dog instinctively chooses the most reliable place in the house. It is not recommended to ignore sudden changes in pet behavior. Dogs that are hypersensitive to seismic activity will try to warn their owners of an approaching earthquake. After noticing changes in the animal’s behavior, people have a few minutes or seconds to find a safe shelter or leave the building. Thus, when you decide to get a dog, you will be able to have not only a devoted and smart pet, but also an effective earthquake detector.