I have heard over the years the suggestion the gravitational forces of our star ‘might’ cause earthquakes. *Finally, as solar activity continues to increase during the rise of the current solar cycle, expected to peak around 2013, here is a statement from the USGS themselves on whether earthquakes are really on the increase or not as well (We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. The tidal effect on land is smaller than on the ocean (0.2m as opposed to 1m) because land is stiffer, but flexing land 0.2m (about two thirds of a foot, for the US readers) vertically every 12 and a bit hours is still a lot of movement.
(Click on Image to See A Larger Version)I have also been looking at data on ionospheric disturbances here on earth as part of my own research (again, this data is publicly available via the Stanford University website The flare solar activity for 18 February 2011 (top panel) plotted against the corresponding changes in the ionosphere above Austria (bottom panel).The data I have used in the above plots are from X-ray sensors onboard the GOES series of satellites. Actually, the earths internal core may have its own tidal action putting forces on our crust.Taken at face value, I would agree that it should be obvious that sunspot activity shouldn’t have an effect on earthquake activity.
So if you feel that my rather simplistic approach has failed to reveal a potential relationship between solar and geological activity, then I urge you to sift through the data for yourself.
I have been involved w/our star close to 40 years.
Still today, many believe that the position of Sun, Moon and even the other planets of our solar system, can cause earthquakes on Earth. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years.
Earthquakes. So barely any of this X-ray light makes it through the atmosphere, let alone to beneath the surface to where earthquakes occur. Which is a good thing.
Except, I don’t see anyone being able to measure an effect this small anytime soon … and given the larger effects mentioned, it seems completely irrelevant.Well said. Of course, we have those all the time, and influence is not the same as trigger, so it’s not clear to me how you would show the effect, but I’m pretty sure it must be there.Sun weather? If flares do indeed cause earthquakes then we would expect to see a positive correlation between flares occurring and earthquakes occurring.