Spanish researchers from IGME-CSIC find the first patterns for predicting earthquakes

study Conducted by researchers from the Geological and Mining Institute (IGME-CSIC) He linked hydrochemical changes in hot springs to the earthquake record. On a global level, this is not the first study, but it represents a major advance as it can be used as a warning to anticipate potential earthquakes.

What is the relationship between hot springs and earthquakes?

In our country there are more than 5,000 earthquakes that can be recorded in a year, just like it happened According to data from the National Geographic Institute. This figure, which at first glance seems alarming, tells us that Spain does not have high seismic risks but some of them can be dangerous.

The Granada Basin represents the area most at risk from earthquakes in Spain. This happens because It is located near the border of the European and African tectonic plates. These are the faults that cut through the Earth’s crust Also responsible for the presence of thermal springs. Here the expansion of faults allows water from very deep aquifers to rise to the surface.

Breakthrough in earthquake prediction

One of the major challenges facing science is the ability to predict earthquakes. So far, the efforts of the scientific community have not yielded great results since then It is yet impossible to predict when this will happen. but, This new study The publication in the Journal of Hydrology gives us a lot of hope.

The seismic crisis that occurred in Granada For a few months in 2020 and 2021 Allows sampling from two thermal probes. That was when Juan Antonio Luque and Rosa Maria Mateus, The study’s authors were able to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the frequency and frequency of earthquakes To search for the link.

What were the results of this study?

Both surveys were sampled repeatedly during the period of greatest earthquake focus. More than 45 chemical parameters were analyzed in each sample.also Temperature, pH of thermal water, etc. In short, the results were encouraging, as reported by the Supreme Council for Social Research (CSIC).

There were relevant hydrochemical variations depending on the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes. They highlighted an important fact, Sulfate ion peaks that appear with larger earthquakes. This means that Before an earthquake occurs, there is a rapid flow of water from the deep aquiferRich in sulfates.

This research opens a new program that requires continuous monitoring chemical composition Water from geothermal aquifers. Both sulfate ion, silica, chloride ion, iron, and calcium They seem to be good “snitches” that allow us to warn in advance when an earthquake occurs.