Ensuring reports of observations demonstrate self consistency, adequate
signal-to-noise, adequate noise quantification or consistency with other geophysical data obtained in the area. Some unusual records are claimed as precursors
just because they precede some local or distant event without adequate demonstration
of consistency with coevent source models or demonstration of significance
against the background noise. Since high-precision deformation data obtained in
the near-field of earthquakes show precursive strain in the weeks to seconds before
earthquakes is less than 1% of that occurring during the earthquake, acceptance by
the geophysical community of “precursive” EM signals without believable coseismic
signals, should not be expected.