It has been documented for many centuries that earthquakes and other tectonic processes have
hydrological effects. The magnitude and the spatial and temporal patterns of such signals
recorded by scientific instruments in modern times have not always been straightforward to
explain and hence remain the subject of active research especially those that might be
precursors to earthquakes. This volume contains 9 papers that present new observations on
earthquake-related hydrological geochemical and geophysical changes in Japan Taiwan Baja
California in Mexico and mostly China one paper on laboratory rock-mechanics study and a
brief overview of Chinese research on earthquake prediction during the past 5 decades. Some of
the observed changes occurred several days before earthquakes and are explained with the
consideration of heterogeneity of the earth's crust and earthquake-related slow-slip events
with earthquake forecasting as a possible application.
