VAN method

The VAN method – named after P. Varotsos, K. Alexopoulos and K. Nomicos, authors of the 1981 papers describing it – measures low frequency electric signals, termed "seismic electric signals" (SES), by which Varotsos and several colleagues claimed to have successfully predicted earthquakes in Greece. Both the method itself and the manner by which successful predictions were claimed have been severely criticized and defended. The VAN method was advanced in 2001 by improving the accuracy of the estimation of the time window of the forthcoming earthquake through a new analysis, termed "natural time", and this new method has been independently reproduced. Research related to the VAN method is currently carried out at the Solid Earth Physics Institute, University of Athens, Greece.