VAN method
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The VAN method is an experimental earthquake prediction method. It was named after the initials of the last name of each of its inventors, the team of Greek seismologists consisting of Panayotis Varotsos, Kessar Alexopoulos and Kostas Nomikos.
The method tries to assess electromagnetic emissions that, according to the VAN team, occur several hours before the earthquake and can be interpreted as warnings for a forthcoming catastrophe.
The efficiency of the VAN method in earthquake prediction is a matter of debate, as a number of prominent seismologists have disputed its accuracy. One of the major opposers of VAN is the Greek seismologist Vassilis Papazachos. The debate between Papazachos and the VAN team has repeatedly caused public attention in their home country Greece and has been extensively discussed in the Greek media. As Greece is highly seismogenic and has suffered major disasters by earthquakes, the Greek public is extremely concerned over this debate.
[edit] External links
- IEEE Spectrum: Impending earthquakes have been sending us warning signals—and people are starting to listen
- Nature debates. Is the reliable prediction of individual earthquakes a realistic scientific goal?
