One of the things we’ve been surprised to learn is the growing trend for holding scientists accountable for predicting natural events, particularly earthquakes.
It is well known that it is impossible to predict earthquakes, yet a growing number of scientists and technicians have come under attack in recent years for…
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Our aim has always been to drive as close to fault lines as possible. Little did we really appreciate at the time that this would guarantee us such a spectacular journey. Fault lines often manifest themselves as beautiful mountains ranges or calm valleys, creating an enticing environment in which to…
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Earthquake geologists like Ioannis are constantly on the look out for evidence of old earthquakes. That way they can better understand the behaviour of fault lines over long periods of time. Mostly they find clues in the rocks themselves but sometimes the clues are more dramatic like here at Kechriai,…
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We’re in Kalamata to find out about life in the town, which was hit on 13th September 1986 by an earthquake of nearly 6.6 magnitude. Although 28 people lost their lives, in the long term the town made a hugely successful comeback from tragedy.
Kalamata is the second biggest town in…
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When we first began researching the trip we spoke to Dr Ioannis Papanikolaou, a Greek earthquake geologist, telling him we wanted to find out about any possible benefits of fault lines. His answer was immediate… when you come to Greece you’ll see.
And driving from Nafpaktos to Athens we did. The…
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A headline we read the other day summed it up..
“Scientists can’t predict earthquakes but toads might be able to”
It was about a study published in the Journal of Zoology which claimed that toads had detected the L’Aquila earthquake days before it struck.
Zoologist Dr Rachel Grant studying toads 74…
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Many people have asked us how we’re managing to live out of Lottie for four months, let alone transform her into a mobile studio every evening when we knuckle down to the business of editing footage. For those petrol heads following us, here’s a list of the ways in which…
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Given that we are trying to understand the impact a fault line can have on people’s lives, our journey wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the astonishing Mount Parnassus along the Corinth Rift – a fault line that has potentially influenced more people’s lives than can ever be imagined,…
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Greece is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. It is riddled with fault lines and frequently experiences earthquakes. We visited the town of Nafpaktos, near the Corinth – Patras rift which experienced a 5.1m earthquake in January this year. We talked to some of the local…
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Good bye Italy. We wanted to stay longer but the port of Brindisi isn’t somewhere you’d want to hang around long in.
We did however meet the fascinating Jojo Was Noch who was transporting racing horses from Germany to Iran. He gave us lots of advice about what to expect…
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Washing blows in the wind long since dried, a child’s toy lies abandoned in a pile of rubble, an entire bathroom hangs at an impossible angle from a decimated apartment block. On every street corner are the haunting signs of a city abandoned in minutes, as people fled their houses…
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The seismometer we’re carrying around with us has be to be single heaviest thing we own, especially given how small it is. It also happens to resemble a small bomb, so we won’t be taking it into Iran.
When we first set off, we naively imagined we’d be doing a…
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Our aim all along has been to shun motorways and get as close as possible to fault lines themselves. Little did we expect, however, to be able to bed down in the crater of a volcano, our mats gently warmed by the earth below, inhaling air that has been proven…
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A while ago back in Iceland with met up with Sandra, the trainee tattoo-artist cum earthquake expert. She was helping run the earthquake centre in Kopasker. Watch this clip for a younger person’s perspective:
