VSU Highlights Future of Earthquake Forecasting

Dr. Friedemann Freund, world-renowned scientist with the SETI Institute and the NASA Ames Research Center, discusses the future of earthquake forecasting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, via Zoom. This event is presented free of charge by Valdosta State University’s College of Science and Mathematics and is open to the public.

During the one-hour presentation, Freund will share how his “work on the properties of crystals helped him discover a connection between crystals under stress in the Earth’s crust near faults and the early signs of developing earthquakes,” shared Dr. Pierre-Richard Cornely, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at VSU. “He is the first scientist to have made this connection.”

Cornely said earthquakes have become a serious threat to life on Earth with their increasing frequency of occurrence. On Feb. 17, for example, the United States Geological Survey reported 38 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or higher around the world.

However, after more than 100 years of research, “there is no definitive work towards an earthquake forecasting method like there is for weather,” Cornely added. Freund’s work “is unique and will transform the way the world looks at earthquake forecasting.”

Everyone is invited to listen to Freund talk about the importance of his work and his latest findings via Zoom by visiting https://bit.ly/3sHzdM8 at the event start time. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Cornely joined Freund’s research on earthquake forecasting more than a decade ago, and he said he is excited to share this groundbreaking, life-saving work with the community. He hopes the conversation inspires community science enthusiasts to continue learning and supporting scientific research. He also hopes it encourages undergraduate research ideas and experiential learning opportunities for VSU’s students.

“I think it is important for our university and our faculty to be involved in nurturing and developing the next generation of scientists,” he said.

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