Mary S. Lazaridou-Varotsos

Disastrous earthquakes in Killini-Vartholomio, 1988

On 22 September and 16 October 1988, two earthquakes occurred with magnitudes of 5.6 and 6.0 in the Killini-Vartholomio area (western Peloponnese) and caused extensive damage. Thousands of homes were reduced to rubble, but there was no loss of life. This is because the “beast” did not appear suddenly, since, as explained below, the population had been informed from the beginning of September that large earthquakes would occur in this region in the next time period and on their own initiative people took elementary precautions.

Second international evaluation of VAN, 1990

This international conference, funded solely by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation was entitled “Measurements and Theoretical Models of the Earth’s Electric Field Variations Related to Earthquakes”. It took place in Athens, lasted for three days (6–8 February 1990) and its main purpose was “to assess the results so far of the VAN investigation”. The conference was organized by the Solid State Section of the Department of Physics of the University of Athens.

Disastrous Athens earthquake, 1999

This 5.9 earthquake occurred at 14:56 local time (11:56 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT) on 7 September 1999. Some days before, on 1 and 2 September, two series of preseismic electric signals SES were recorded at Lamia station (LAM). These signals are included in Varotsos et al.

First international evaluation of VAN, 1984

The first substantial scientific evaluation of VAN research results was made at the November 1984 International Workshop in Athens (see Section 4.2). It was preceded by other unsuccessful attempts, briefly described in this section.

The procedure for the measurements: The telemetric VAN network and how the epicenter and magnitude are predicted

The experimental procedure to measure a preseismic VAN signal, or SES, is simply the following: Two electrodes are driven into the earth, to a depth of, for example, two meters. Each electrode is connected to one end of an insulated cable and then the potential difference is measured between the two free ends of the wires with a voltmeter (which in practice is a differential amplifier).

Disastrous earthquakes in PIRGOS, 1993: The public warning

The events leading up to the Pirgos earthquakes in 1993 have some similarities to what happened before the earthquakes that occurred in Killini-Vartholomio in 1988. A summary of the events of 1988, mentioned in Chapter 6, appears in the top time-chart of Figure 9.1 indicated by A. It is in fact Figure 28 from page 346 of the article entitled “Latest aspects on earthquake prediction in Greece, based on Seismic Electric Signals (SES)” (Varotsos and Lazaridou, 1991). This time-chart summarizes the following: On 31 August 1988, we recorded strong preseismic electric signals which were followed on 22 September by a strong earthquake of magnitude 5.6 near Killini. Approximately one week later, on 30 September, there was seismic activity near the island of Zakynthos and after 16 days, on 16 October, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 6.0 destroyed Vartholomio.

Third evaluation of VAN, 1992, 1995

The National Research Foundation of the USA (National Science Foundation), as part of its plan to minimize the risk from earthquakes (National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program) organized an international conference from 14 to 17 June 1992 in Lake Arrowhead, close to Los Angeles, California, entitled “Low–Frequency Electrical Precursors: Fact or Fiction?” Thirty-seven scientists and specialists on the topic were invited to participate. The participants came from different countries (Japan, China, Canada, France, Sweden, Russia, etc., and from Greece Alexopoulos, Varotsos and myself) and from various universities and research institutes in the USA, such as the University of California at Riverside, the University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas A & M, NASA, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Two powerful earthquakes, 1986

On Monday 31 March 1986 nearly every Greek newspaper referred to the great earthquake that occurred in the central Aegean Sea on the evening of Saturday 29 March, at 20:37. For example, the newspaper Mesimvrini (31 March 1986) entitled “Panic due to 6.1 Richter” and subtitled “Shaken areas from Thessalonica to the Peloponnese”, carried this article:

The International Prize of the Onassis Foundation, 1995

On 7 April 1995, the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation announced its prestigious awards. One out of the four award-winning people was Varotsos. The ceremony was to take place on 11 July on Pnyx Hill.

The development of the VAN research on earthquake prediction

On 24 February 1981, at 22:53, a very strong earthquake shook Athens and power cuts in several areas reinforced the panic. The terrified residents rushed out of their homes and tried to understand what was happening. They switched on radios and waited to hear something relevant. Unprepared for such an event, they did not know what to do. They had had no preparation or training on how to react in this situation. Many took to their cars and left, without knowing where they should go. Many people went to coastal areas believing the beaches would provide safety, not realizing the potential risks from tidal waves (tsunami) which are sometimes generated after a major earthquake.