The global endo-drainage system: Prospects of seismic prediction

Any natural phenomenon (process) occurs, develops, and dies away within a specific environment. Therefore, a study of its development patterns and forecast of its occurrence or extinction requires thorough knowledge of the host environment. In view of this, we have considered some characteristic features of the structure and functioning of the global endo-drainage system (GEDS) as a geological medium where all the seismic zones are concentrated and most of the major earthquakes in the world occur. We have described the basic principles of regional hydrogeodeformatics, which gives a methodology for the strain-field monitoring of extensive geological objects aimed at the short-term prediction of strong and devastating earthquakes. Based on data from long-term monitoring over the evolution of the earth’s hydrogeodeformation (HGD) field, we show some examples of possible earthquake predictions.