2006-08-13 14:49:50 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It depends.It certainly has an affect on volcanoes that are on the verge of erupting, there is a link to earthquakes and volcanoes.
2006-08-13 14:55:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's possible, BUT ...
That idea has been considered for a long time, but so far no demonstrable cause/effect evidence has been found and it's not for lack of looking for a link. What this means is that, even though it seems likely to human intuition at first glance, so far nobody has produced any theory of earthquakes that produces better predictions based on the moon.
Since the moon/earthquake theory in no way makes earthquakes any more predictable it must mean that IF there is a relationship, it is so weak as to be thus far undetectable.
Therefore, if such a relationship exists, it's anything but obvious after hundreds of years of study.
If such a relationship is proven, then some day there will be earthquake alerts worldwide with respect to the position of the moon.
So, it's possible, BUT ...
2006-08-13 23:38:01 · answer #2 · answered by Jay T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's possible.
You would have to have a fault where the direction of slippage is enhanced by the tidal pull. And there would have to be some serious potential already built up. The stress changes in an earthquake are 100 to 1000 times the stress changes due to tides. In addition, the tidal stress is periodic with a high frequency, so the maximum stresses would not have a sufficient time to really work on a fault.
Information is sketchy. And the debate rages slowly on.
2006-08-13 21:58:22 · answer #3 · answered by TychaBrahe 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they effect the tides... why not earthquakes ? i think they claim that it has an effect on the earths shape. it is not a perfect sphere... it is more like pear shaped...
2006-08-13 21:59:39 · answer #4 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋