Hi EQF. From the EOS Homepage.

“A NASA/Department of Energy-funded research team reports promising results from an experiment to forecast earthquakes in southern/central California from 2000 to 2010. It uses mathematical methods to forecast likely locations of earthquakes above magnitude 5 by processing data on earthquakes of about magnitude 3 from the past decade. The high-risk regions identified in the forecast are refined from those already identified by the government as susceptible to large earthquakes. Five earthquakes greater than magnitude 5 have occurred since the research was completed, all in those high-risk regions.”

“Dr. Wayne Thatcher, a senior research geophysicist at the USGS, Menlo Park, Calif., says as these technologies are validated they will be transferred to end users. “Such data and models improve understanding of earthquake and volcanic processes, substantially refining seismic hazard maps and resulting in more appropriate, earthquake-resistant construction codes and more targeted retrofitting strategies,” he says.”

It’s not likely that NASA would get involved directly in earthquake prediction, as it sort of would be like reinventing the wheel. NASA would be using the same data as all the others are so it isn’t likely they would do any better. Also they aren’t going to jump out and make a prediction without first following the same protocol that others have to follow. The key words are “as these technologies are validated they will be transferred to end users.” In other words they have to be proven to work.

What NASA uses is no secret. I have been using their data for about 5 years now as well as data from USGS, JPL and a few other organizations. It’s available to anyone who wants to use it. Take Care…Don in creepy town

• EOS