VOLCANO MADNESS: Re: [Geology2] Re: Study finds synchronicity in earthquakes --Fireflies

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Re: [Geology2] Re: Study finds synchronicity in earthquakes --Fireflies

Not to start a "flame" war (bad, bad joke), but that particular species is found up the Eastern Seaboard to Pennsylvania and down to Georgia. (Source) According to this same article, of the 2,000 species of firefly, the ones that are bioluminescent all have differing levels of synchronous flashing. That said, there is no way that anyone could ever legitimately link the blinking patterns of any firefly to quakes.

Another myth bites the dust. :)

Lin

On Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 9:02 PM, Emman <mstreman53@yahoo.com> wrote:

--- In geology2@yahoogroups.com, Allison Loukanis <
--- On Thu, 6/24/10, LadyTozi@... <LadyTozi@...> wrote:

<< None of the fireflies in my backyard and trees have ever started flashing together, nor any of the other items mention fall into step. Maybe I have very independent fireflies.>>

This is from two specific, narrowly distributed, species of fireflies and was thrown into the article by some over active imagination stretching for an allegory.

This has been reported from Southeast Asia( Viet Nam?) and the Great Snokey Mountains of East Tennessee. In fact, this years syncronous flashing/mating season has just ended. By bus transport only, spectators are taken to observe this in the early evenings in early June, here in the Smokeys.

The species does sync up flashing, to communicate in subtle messages only understood by their genetic memories. As they approach "sync", waves of light will criss-cross in unison side-to-side across the field and builds till all "sync" together. Then the sexes stratify:one flying low while the other floats in a layer 6-10 ft above the other. They "unsync" and "re-sync" by sex: flash in point-counterpoint etc.The lights go dim when they hone in on each other.

Point is: yes they do exist, it is sorta romantic, but has nothing to do with the underlying story about "locked faults".

Again--So far as I recall, this display is only known from two locations on the globe. IF you are a naturalist and live near the Smokeys then this is a bucket-list "tick mark" you should see once in your life. The Smokey Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend TN in conjunction with the National Park Service sponsors the tours Late May to mid June.

Eman