Things that make you go hmmmmm Geologist Jim Berkland believes there is a way to predict earthquakes, some people think he is a kook others think he is onto something and I am on the fence. He did predict the 1989 World Series Quake and got suspended from his job at Santa Clara County Office of Geology. Why is this important to Connectzone.com you may wonder? In a recent Fox News interview he predicts a large earthquake in the Pacific Northwest between March 19th and 26th 2011. Connectzone is located in the Pacific Northwest that’s why it is important. While I am skeptical, I am not so skeptical that I didn’t buy some extra water at the store today. His theory is based on fault lines (duh), and syzygy of the moon. In layman’s terms syzygy is the gravitational force caused by the alignment of the moon, sun and earth. Syzygy is the same thing that causes tides with the forces strongest at New and Full Moon.  Berkland believes radical changes in the Earth’s magnetic field are a potential precursor to an earthquake. Carrier Pigeons have ultrafine-grained magnetite crystals in their beaks which are believed to work with magnetic forces to find their way home.  The tracking and migratory abilities of many animals has led to wide spread speculation many animals have magnetite in their bodies and that magnetic field fluctuations can affect animal behavior. Berkland’s theory includes an increase in lost domestic pets and events such as bears showing up in populated communities just prior to an earthquake. He also speculates that occurrences such as mass beaching of marine mammals may be a precursor to and earthquake because the change in magnetic force interferes with their internal compass. In his interview Berkland notes a recent mass fish kill in Redondo Beach CA a massive fish sweep in Mexico and numerous misguided whales near San Diego. This combined with the apparent  clockwise pattern of incidents in the “Ring of Fire” and the bringing together of three of the maximum tide raising forces on March 19th that is the day he predicts the next earthquake although he also states there will be an increased risk until March 26th.