Gravity and Mind
Sir, I read with interest the article Gravity & Mind by Alan Watson (Geoscientist 23, November 2013). It resonated with an article I wrote in 1979 concerning Earth phenomena associated with earthquakes. I drew upon a paper in Nature published by H. Tributsch, 7 Dec 1978, vol.276, pp.606-608, entitled “Do aerosol anomalies precede earthquakes?”.
He proposed that earthquake stresses generate positive ion anomalies in the atmosphere which in turn stimulate secretion of the neurohormone serotonin in mammals. Serotonin release can lead to nausea, irritability and headaches, symptoms that can also be experienced during thunderstorms. Tributsch based some of his work on an earlier paper in Nature by Finkelstein & Powell, 1970, vol.228, pp.759-760 entitled “Earthquake Lightning”, in which the authors calculated that strain in rocks can generate 500-5000 volts/cm by the piezoelectric effect. This electric potential could lead to ionization of water droplets and produce lumniscence locally.
This sphere of research needs more work, but I believe one way forward is to monitor small but significant positive-ion anomalies in affected areas. In 1979, ion detectors were not sensitive enough to measure small anomalies. Maybe progress has been made in instrumentation.