Geologist's Theories Validated Days Before Death

By Cal Orey

Days before the unconventional American scientist's passing, national news headlines read:
"Some earthquakes on San Andreas fault are triggered by gravitational tug of of sun and moon" -- 

This theory is exactly what Jim Berkland, the "maverick geologist" (who predicted the SF quake that hit near the SAF on October 17, 1989 ) had been saying for decades... He was right, after all. He made a difference. His theories are immortalized. And he is smiling in the hereafter. 
James O. "Jim" Berkland''' was a fearless, unconventional geologist (85, passed July 22, 2016) who thought outside of the box despite what his conservative peers thought or did. He was noted for his countless "hits" of predicting various earthquakes, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and Northridge earthquake--and not to forget there was a Full Moon on December 26, 2004, the day of the unforgettable Indian Ocean Earthquake-Tsunami. And he popularized the concept that some people--and animals--are earthquake sensitive.
Pets Predict Quakes? 
He was celebrated in a popular 2006 book as "The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes: Jim Berkland, Maverick Geologist: How His Quakes Warnings Can Save Lives", but his peers were often skeptical of the scientist's theories, including lunar cycles, tides, and animals sensing Earth changes before an earthquake.

Days before his death, scientists came forward in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  and claimed there is a link to the moon/sun/tides and earthquakes, including the San Andreas Fault Zone. 

One week after his passing, I discovered that Jim was aware of these "new" findings--but the visionary knew it to true for decades. (As his biographer I got it all too well when interviewing his conservative peers and how they ignored his ideas, predictions, and successes). 

Despite the controversy about the "man"'s talents for predicting earthquakes, there is documentation of the geologist's dozens of accurate earthquake predictions ''and'' theories immortalized in numerous national newsapers, and magazine articles (including stories I've penned in national magazines Woman's World, CATS, and Dog World; msnbc.com (now nbc.com) San Jose Mercury News and Tahoe Daily Tribune) and in "The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes: Jim Berkland, Maverick Geologist: How His Quake Warnings Can Save Lives."
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 30, 2016 10:18
No comments have been added yet.