Plankton blooms linked to quakes

Phytoplankton blooms can be seen from space.

Concentrations of the natural pigment chlorophyll in coastal waters have been shown to rise prior to earthquakes. These chlorophyll increases are due to blooms of plankton, which use the pigment to convert solar energy to chemical energy via photosynthesis. A joint US-Indian team of researchers analysed satellite data on ocean coastal areas lying near the epicentres of four recent quakes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4750557.stm