Days prior to the quake that leveled the Greek city of Helice in 373 BC, rats, snakes and weaver's deserted the city to safer grounds. Many accounts of animal anticipation of earthquakes have been recorded by historians over the centuries. Although their is no clear reasoning behind an animal's ability to sense earthquake, current research suggest animals detect electrical changes in the air or gas released from the Earth.
Unlike many natural disasters, earthquake technology does not predict earthquakes. While seismographs detect sudden outbursts of tectonic movement, seismologists are unable to detect slow, constant, gradual increase in pressure, indicative of an upcoming earthquake. Consequently, people can not prepare for earthquakes and are unable to get themselves in safe areas. Prior to earthquakes, an enormous amount of energy accumulates until the energy build up is enough to overcome the friction between two tectonic plates. The devastations of earthquake and our passion for science have inspired our team, the πthons, to come up with a new method for detecting and predicting earthquakes. By harnessing piezoelectric technology, the π -zo Graphs would be able to revolutionize earthquake prediction. π -zo Graphs would be located underground, near plate boundaries, so that the intense pressure of moving plates could be detected. Several piezoelectric sensors would be wired together and connected to an above-ground computer. As plates move and pressure is exerted onto the piezoelectric sensors, the sensors convert the pressure to electricity. As pressure increases between plate boundaries, the amount of electricity produced by the piezoelectric sensors will increase. Interpretations of the increasing electricity can be used to accurately determine the intensity, the location and the time an earthquake will occur.
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