Iben Browning

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Born in England in 1918, Iben Browning graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1937. He majored in both math and physics, and earned an M.A. at the University of Texas at Austin in 1947, followed by a doctorate of philosophy degree the following year at the same school. His doctorate was in zoology with minors in genetics and bacteriology. He wrote four books, held 90 patents, and served as a climatologist and business consultant.

Dr. Browning projected an increased risk of a major earthquake on the New Madrid Fault around December 2nd and 3rd, 1990. No noticeable seismic activity was recorded in that area on those dates.

Iben Browning was born in Edna, Texas on January 9, 1918 and grew up in Jackson, Texas. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He graduated from Southwest Texas Teachers College and earned a Master's Degree and a PhD. in biology from the University of Texas. He was married to the former Florence Pinto and had one daughter, Evelyn. He lived his later years in Albuquerque, NM and died on July 18, 1991. (1)(2)(3)

Dr. Browning worked in various scientific fields, including artificial intelligence and bio-engineering, and patented scores of inventions. He also served as a business consultant in various scientific and engineering fields. He eventually became interested in long-term weather forecasting and climate changes. (4)

Browning believed that climate fluctuations are caused by changes in the amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere. The major source of these changes is volcanic activity. His studies showed that volcanic activity can be triggered by land tidal forces caused by the moon, the earth's elliptical orbit of the sun, and the alignment of these three bodies. When conditions are right, these tidal forces can trigger volcanic eruptions (and earthquakes). There are periods when the sun, earth and moon move closer together and line up well to produce frequent high tidal forces and thus a greater number of volcanic eruptions. The dust thrown into the atmosphere reflects sunlight, which can result in climatic cooling. Browning found that climatic changes, especially cooling, are associated with increased troubles in human society, including famine, revolutions, and war. (5)

Browning described his climatic theories and findings in Climate and the Affairs of Men, which he co-authored with Nels Winkless III and published in 1975. At that time he believed that the earth had been through a long warm period and was moving into a dangerous cooling phase. He also declared that he had not detected any effect of human activity on the climate.

Beginning 1971 he began forecasting dates when increased seismic activity could be expected at certain latitudes, based on his theories of tidal stresses caused by astronomical alignments. He is credited with accurately predicting high stress periods that coincided with the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the Mexico City quake of 1985, and the Loma Prieta (California) quake of 1989. (6)

However, Browning is best known for his prediction of a 50% probability of an earthquake to occur on December 3, 1990, along a fault line near New Madrid, Missouri, that would be severe enough to cause damage in several states east and west of the Mississippi River. He made this forecast based on the expected very high tidal forces at that latitude. He reasoned that if geologic forces along this fault had built up enough pressure, the heightened tidal forces could trigger a quake. When the quake did not occur, Browning became the subject of much ridicule by geologists and the public.

Iben Browning was a scientific generalist, who made a career of suggesting new and sometimes unusual ideas.

(1) New York Times, July 20, 1991, obituary (2) Social Security Death Index (3) U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records (4) New York Times, July 20, 1991 (5) Winkless, Nels III and Browning, Iben, Climate and the Affairs of Men, Harper's Magazine Press, 1975 (6) New York Times, July 20, 1991

New Madrid, an Uncle Tupelo song, refers to Dr. Browning and his prediction.