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 |  Subject: Oarfish omen spells earthquake disaster for Japan  Mon Oct 21, 2013 10:56 am | |
| Oarfish omen spells earthquake disaster for JapanJapan is bracing itself after dozens of rare giant oarfish - traditionally the harbinger of a powerful earthquake - have been washed ashore or caught in fishermen's nets. The giant oarfish can grow up to five metres in length and is usually to be found at depths of 1,000 metres Photo: NORBERT WU / MINDEN PICTURESBy Julian Ryall in Tokyo7:00AM GMT 04 Mar 2010The appearance of the fish follows Saturday's destructive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile and the January 12 tremors in Haiti, which claimed an estimated 200,000 lives.A quake with a magnitude of 6.4 has also struck southern Taiwan.This rash of tectonic movements around the Pacific "Rim of Fire" is heightening concern that Japan - the most earthquake-prone country in the world - is next in line for a major earthquake.Those concerns have been stoked by the unexplained appearance of a fish that is known traditionally as the Messenger from the Sea God's Palace.The giant oarfish can grow up to five metres in length and is usually to be found at depths of 1,000 metres and very rarely above 200 metres from the surface. Long and slender with a dorsal fin the length of its body, the oarfish resembles a snake.In recent weeks, 10 specimens have been found either washed ashore or in fishing nets off Ishikawa Prefecture, half-a-dozen have been caught in nets off Toyama Prefecture and others have been reported in Kyoto, Shimane and Nagasaki prefectures, all on the northern coast.According to traditional Japanese lore, the fish rise to the surface and beach themselves to warn of an impending earthquake - and there are scientific theories that bottom-dwelling fish may very well be susceptible to movements in seismic fault lines and act in uncharacteristic ways in advance of an earthquake - but experts here are placing more faith in their constant high-tech monitoring of the tectonic plates beneath the surface."In ancient times Japanese people believed that fish warned of coming earthquakes, particularly catfish," Hiroshi Tajihi, deputy director of the Kobe Earthquake Centre, told the Daily Telegraph."But these are just old superstitions and there is no scientific relationship between these sightings and an earthquake," he said.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/7365076/Oarfish-omen-spells-earthquake-disaster-for-Japan.html |
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| | Subject: Oarfish mystery: Earthquake rumours over beached giant snake-like fish in California Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:29 am | |
| Oarfish mystery: Earthquake rumours over beached giant snake-like fish in California Giant snake-like fish washed up onto Californian beaches in recent days may have died a result of the seismic activity under the seabed that occurs days or weeks before an earthquake, scientists said.At least two oarfish, which grow up to 15 metres long and live in the deep ocean, have been sighted on beaches in California without any visible signs of injury or disease, leading to speculation that they have been affected by some kind of deep underwater disturbance.Rachel Grant, a lecturer in animal biology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, said there might be some truth in the ancient Japanese legend that the appearance of oarfish precedes an earthquake. She has begun a study to test the idea.“It’s theoretically possible because when an earthquake occurs there can be a build-up of pressure in the rocks which can lead to electrostatic charges that cause electrically-charged ions to be released into the water,” Dr Grant said.“This can lead to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which is a toxic compound. The charged ions can also oxidise organic matter which could either kill the fish or force them to leave the deep ocean and rise to the surface,” she said.Another possibility is that prior to an earthquake there is a release of large quantities of carbon monoxide gas, which could also affect oarfish and other deep-see creatures, Dr Grant said.“The geophysical processes behind these kinds of sighting can happen before an earthquake. I will be watching California closely over the next couple of weeks,” she added.Read Full Article |
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