Report on a pre-earthquake signal detection by enhanced E\"otv\"os torsion balance

TL;DR

This study reports that enhanced Eötvös torsion balances detected potential earthquake precursors over 30 minutes before the event, even when seismometers showed no signs, indicating a promising new method for early earthquake detection.

Contribution

The paper introduces the use of enhanced Eötvös torsion balances for pre-earthquake signal detection, demonstrating their ability to identify signals not captured by traditional seismometers.

Findings

Torsion balances detected signals 30+ minutes before the earthquake.

Seismometers showed no unusual activity during the signals.

Potential for new early warning systems based on torsion balance data.

Abstract

More than 30 minutes before the earthquake event in Florina, Greece at 21:43:47(UTC) on 9th January 2022 an enhanced E\"otv\"os torsion balance registered unidentified signals in the J\'anossy Underground Research Laboratory in Budapest, Hungary. These signals were not visible on the seismograms, although seismic noises are continuously recorded by a side-by-side broadband seismometer. Moreover, seismological stations did not detect anything unusual, they presented a negative confirmation of the events. Our observation suggests that torsion balances might effectively detect precursory earthquake signals from a considerable distance. Such a finding could trigger the development of new observational devices and networks and can provide novel knowledge about the origin and mechanism of earthquake phenomena.