A New Earthquake Predictor?

Seafloor 'Breathing' Could Help Forecast Big Earthquakes

NEW YORK — Tracking tiny earthquakes with advanced technology could help scientists forecast the next devastating temblor, one expert says.

By deploying data-collecting ocean-bottom seismometers, marine researchers can keep track of small earthquakes created by the flow of the tides in the deep ocean. These small earthquakes are triggered by the expansion and contraction of the seafloor with the tides, which happens on a daily basis.

"The seafloor is almost breathing with the tides," said Maya Tolstoy, a geophysicist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory here in New York.Tolstoy thinks these "tidal-triggering" events, if tracked effectively, could help marine researchers get a better sense of when the next big, tsunami-causing earthquake could happen. She discussed this possibility at an event held in New York two weeks ago. [7 Ways the Earth Changes in the Blink of an Eye]

Placing seismometers on midocean ridges (where new seafloor is created by volcanoes) and other seismically active parts of the ocean will help marine researchers like Tolstoy understand what parts of the world are at risk of facing a large earthquake sometime in the relatively near future by seeing how stressed these areas become over time, she said.

[link to weather.yahoo.com]