Earthquake Advanced Detection - Gas Bubbles point to tectonic activity. A route to elimination or mitigation of resulting catastrophies?

Earthquake advanced detection - New Hope?

In their December 2008 issue, the leading french science research magazine, "La Recherche" reports the findings of an international geoscience research team.

The team, from France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and USA, investigated the submerged section of the North Anatolian fault within the Marmara Sea in Northern Turkey, using acoustic techniques and submersible dives.

It appears that the abundance of gas bubbles along fault lines are related to tectonic activity. Conversely, in this study the relative absence of gas bubble emission corresponded to fault lines which have been inactive for about the last 250 years (since 1766).
The most dramatic results of Tectonic activity are of course, Earthquakes, Tsunami and Volcanoes.

The research team are of course cautious in their erudite communiqué "The long term monitoring of gas seeps could hence be highly valuable for the understanding of the evolution of the fluid-fault coupling processes during the earthquake cycle within the Marmara Sea."

But naturally the question whose answer we are all are awaitingn put brutally is: "Does the appearance of gas bubbles indicate the the likelyhood of an emmanent earthquake, and what is the corresponding bubble intensity (the latter greatley studied in Steelmaking stirring processes amoungst many other processes).

Looking forward to strong development and hopefully positive innovation.

Reference:
1. La Recherche Dec. 08 N)425. print edition.
2 Géli et al, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, online 29/08/2008.