Astronomical causes of Earthquakes
Above image: representative image taken from Google
- A Scientific Inquiry into studies suggesting relationship between Astrophysical and Geophysical phenomenon
There are many studies which states that there is a correlation between certain planetary alignments and Solar activity for the cause of Earthquakes. Some studies have stated that revolving planets and planetary alignments orchestrating Solar
activity through orbital resonance, due to which there is a formation of Sunspots on
the surface of Sun.
A study had hypothesized that powerful Solar storms can be the cause of Earthquakes in major part of the world. While there are many studies which states that certain planetary alignments can cause Earthquakes through tidal tugging between different planets which can have a gravitational influence on Earth.
There are studies which suggests that following are the types of mechanism where Celestial bodies could cause Earthquakes, they are:
- Sun’s gravitational pull
- Celestial bodies tidal tug on Earth
- Sun’s Solar eruption could trigger Earthquakes
Dr. R Challinor, of the University of Toronto was one of the first Scientist to suggest that there may be a link between events on the Sun, rate of Earth’s spin and cause of Earthquakes.
(The above images is taken from "Cosmic Magnetism" by Dr. Percy Seymour, chapter 4: Solar and Interplanetary Magnetic fields, pg-no: 65-66, PDF format)
But in year 1852, Swiss Astronomer Johann Rudolf Wolf was the first Astronomer to give relationship between Planet Jupiter and Sunspot activity. Sunspots are dark spots formed on the surface of the Sun which is having intense magnetic field. So the idea that Celestial bodies behind the cause of Earthquakes is not something new.
Above image: Swiss Astronomer Johann Rudolf Wolf, source: Google
Let me tell you a fun fact, predicting Earthquakes is a well known thing in Astrology, it is said to be an Astrological phenomenon. Astrology as we know is said to be a pseudoscience in present times. Once a period of time both Astrology and Astronomy were one and the same until they were separated from each other where Astronomy was accepted as Science and Astrology was disregarded as not being Scientific.
It is a matter of debate whether there is an Astronomical cause for Earthquakes occuring on Earth.
NASA Scientist Stephen Plagemann wrote a book called "The Jupiter Effect" where he proposed that solar activity, by affecting the spin of the Earth, could provide a trigger for earthquakes. He was later fired from his job because of Astrological touch in his views, he is now working as a farmer in England.
Above image: coverpage of the book The Jupiter Effect taken from Google
Stephen Plagemann proposed his theory based on the discovery of an American Radio Engineer John H Nelson.
John H Nelson was an Engineer working for Radio communications of America (RCA) who in 1951 made headlines when he discovered that revolving planets orchestrate Solar activity which then distorted Radio wave propagation which caused distortion in communications.
(Above image taken from Google for representative purpose)
The discovery of Radio Engineer John Nelson seemed to suggest that alignments of planets with
respect to the Sun also had an effect upon Earth. These angles also seem to coincide with Astrological aspects:
Opposition- 180 degrees
Quincunx- 150 degrees
Trine- 120 degrees
Square- 90 degrees
Sextile- 60 degrees
Semi-sextile- 30 degrees
In traditional Astrology, the opposition, square and trine aspects are said to be powerful and other aspects are said to be less powerful.
Astrologers took keen interest in his discovery.
Dr.Jane Blizard’s work for NASA showed evidence for heliocentric planetary conjunctions, oppositions, and certain 90° alignments giving rise to violent solar disturbances. Due to this, the fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field will change from 0.0ci to 2.0ci (ci - International magnetic character figure), as noted by geophysicists. This means earth’s magnetism will change depending on disturbances caused by solar magnetic wind.
Most recently Dr. Frank Stefani from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR),Germany and Dr. Jose Abreu from ETH Zurich Institute for Geophysics in Switzerland have come to conclusion that revolving planets orchestrate Solar activity.
(Above image: representative image of Solar wind and Geomagnetic field taken from Google)
- Solar activity and Orbital resonance of planets
In celestial mechanics, orbital resonance occurs due to gravitational influence exerted by one celestial body against other celestial body where their orbital periods are related by a ratio of small integers.
- What is resonance?
Above image: representative image taken from Google
Resonance is a phenomenon where two objects say A and B are assumed to be there, where an object A is vibrating
at a natural frequency of vibration. If this vibration reaches a maximum state of amplitude, this maximum state of vibration gives to a phenomenon called Resonance.
Now due to Resonance induced in object A, object B starts getting vibrated due to the Resonance induced in object A. Thus Resonance tells us that very small effect can have large consequences if there is a tuning between the force and the agency on which it is acting. Example of Resonance is vibrations caused by an excited tuning fork in an other nearby identical tuning fork.
There are studies which says that revolving planets and planetary alignments orchestrates solar activity where the weak tidal forces of the planets is amplified by Sun’s magnetic field. As a result, there is a formation of sun spots on
the surface of sun, because of Solar activity induced by the planets orbital resonance, there is a variation or
fluctuations in Geomagnetic field which is known to influence a wide variety of organisms. The Geomagnetism is
linked to the solar activity, the fluctuations in solar activity causes change in geomagnetic field variations.
- Interplanetary Magnetic fields and Solar activity
The sun is a magnetic variable star that fluctuates on times scales ranging from a fraction of a second to billions of years. Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, high-speed solar wind, and solar energetic particles are all forms of solar activity. Now planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is said to have magnetic fields. Planets Jupiter, Saturn are known as Gas giants and Neptune, Uranus are known as Ice giants.
The Earth is constantly bombarded by Solar Wind which consists of roughly equal numbers of protons and electrons, as well as a few heavier ions.
Above image: representative image from Google
Due to bombardment of Solar wind on Earth, the Earth’s magnetic field or Geomagnetic field fluctuates. The Earth’s magnetic field is 3–4 times bigger than Earth and Magnetosphere of Earth protects the Earth from harmful effects of Solar wind due to which life sustains on Earth.
> Reverse Piezoelectric effect hypothesis
Above image taken from Google: representative image
• A piezoelectrical origin for earthquakes
After noticing the correlation between solar proton flux and strong earthquakes, the researchers went on to propose a possible explanation: a mechanism called the reverse piezoelectric effect.
Previous experiments have clearly shown that compressing quartz, a rock common in the Earth’s crust, can generate an electrical pulse through a process known as the piezoelectric effect. The researchers think that such small pulses could destabilize faults that are already close to rupturing, triggering earthquakes. In fact, signatures from electromagnetic events — such as earthquake lightning and radio waves — have been recorded occurring alongside earthquakes in the past. Some researchers think these events are caused by the earthquakes themselves. But several other studies have detected strong electromagnetic anomalies before large earthquakes, not after, so the exact nature of the relationship between earthquakes and electromagnetic events is still debated.
The new explanation, however, flips this electromagnetic cause-and-effect on its head, suggesting electromagnetic anomalies aren’t the result of earthquakes, but instead cause them. It goes like this: As positively charged protons from the Sun crash into Earth protective magnetic bubble, they create electromagnetic currents that propagate across the globe. Pulses created by these currents could then go on to deform quartz in Earth’s crust, ultimately triggering quakes.
The “reverse Piezoelectric effect hypothesis” is said to be dismissed due to lack of empirical evidence to be supportive of such mechanism behind cause of Earthquakes.
But in one of the studies by researchers Vito Marchitelli, Paolo Harabaglia, Claudia Troise and Giuseppe De Natale have analysed 20 years of proton density and velocity data, as recorded by the SOHO satellite, and the worldwide seismicity in the corresponding period, as reported by the ISC-GEM catalogue. They found clear correlation between proton density and the occurrence of large earthquakes (M > 5.6), with a time shift of one day.
Above image: representative image from Google
In the journal “On the correlation between solar activity and large earthquakes worldwide” where they have further stated that
“The significance of such correlation is very high, with probability to be wrong lower than 10–5. The correlation increases with the magnitude threshold of the seismic catalogue. A tentative model explaining such a correlation is also proposed, in terms of the reverse piezoelectric effect induced by the applied electric field related to the proton density. This result opens new perspectives in seismological interpretations, as well as in earthquake forecast.”
The journal “On the correlation between solar activity and large earthquakes worldwide” is published in Nature journal.
Above image: representative image from Google
There have been many reports on electromagnetic phenomena possibly related to
earthquakes, Japanese researcher Dr. M. Hayakawa from The University of Electro-communications has discovered that the seismic effect expresses itself not only in the lithosphere, but also in the atmosphere and ionosphere.
Russian researcher Alexander N. Safronov of
Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow in his journal “Astronomical triggers as a cause of strong Earthquakes” published in International Journal of Geosciences has stated that
“It was found that in some earthquakes; the planetary geometries are absolutely identical, which indicates the universality of the mechanism that caused the earthquake. The triggered effect does not depend on the distance between the planets and the mass of the planets, so the mechanism is identified as an inertial gravitational interaction. The triggered effect increases with the multiplicity of the ratio of distances between planets, as well as with pair-wise planetary parallelism, which probably indicates about the wave nature of inertial effects. The triggering effect increases with increasing multiplicity of the ratio of distances between planets, as well as with pairwise planetary parallelism, which probably indicates about the wave nature of inertial effects.”
Above image: representative image from Google
In a journal “Study of Co-seismic Planetary Conditions for Earthquake
Prediction” by Professor PN Agrawal from University of Roorkee published in
"International Conferences on Recent Advances
in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics"
Professor PN Agrawal was a professor of Earthquake Engineering in University of Roorkee, India.
An interesting points to be noted from that journal are:
- Raman (1968) after studying over 200 earthquakes has suggested that -
i) Only some selected relative positions
of Moon with respect to Earth were found
to be occurring on the days of these earthquakes.
ii) The earthquakes generally occurred at the time of eclipses and near the Full Moon and New Moon days.iii) The planets namely, Saturn, Jupiter, Rahu
(Ascending Node of Moon), Mars, Mercury
and Moon have been found to occupy specific
relative positions amongst themselves and with respect to the place of earthquake occurrence.iv) The time of occurrence is near mid-day, mid-night or early morning and
v)
The day of occurrence is many times indicated by the transit of Mars on the eclipse point.• Murthey (1967, 1969) has
conditions to be satisfied of an earthquake:
i) The Earth, the Sun
indicated certain for the occurrence and the exploding
supernova should align in one plane, so that the magnetic field of the supernova can influence the magnetic field of
the Earth.
ii) The weak belts of the Earth’s crust
fall within the active magnetic plane.
It was also suggested that the effect of
high energy of the cosmic rays upon the magnetic field of the Sun is affected by the pattern of the planets of the solar system.
A relation was also shown to exist between
the resultant of the angular momentum of
all planets and the earthquakes.
Now you may ask, “How much does all this have any validity?”, “Can this be theoretically and statistically proved to be correct?”
Well, to answer that question, last month the world witnessed an Earthquake in Turkey- Jordan-Syrian region on February 6th, 2023.
There was a viral news which spread like forest fire that a Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets, apparently a researcher with an institute called Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGOES), had tweeted on Friday that “sooner or later” an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 would occur in the central Turkey, Jordan-Syrian region.
A Dutch researcher was claiming that he was successfully able to predict the Turkey Earthquake.
Above image: Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets tweets that an American Geologist was able to predict Earthquakes with the help of Moon’s position
Does Moon have a role in cause of Earthquakes?
Well, many researchers claim that there is a correlation between Moon’s role and occurance of Earthquakes.
Above image: Moon, from Google
A Japanese Seismologist Satoshi Ide is one of them.
(Above screenshots taken by me)
According to a study by USGS (United States Geological Survey), the type of rocks you live near could greatly affect how much your area could be damaged by massive solar flares in
future.
Jeffrey Love is a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado who has a passion for connecting the high above with the far below.
He has been slowly constructing a picture of the arrangement of the rocks making up the North American continent that would buzz with electromagnetic activity in the event of extreme geomagnetic activity spilling from the Sun.
Having locations of potentially electromagnetically active geology is all well and good. But to work out exactly what this means in real-world terms, it's important to calibrate that activity with actual solar storms.
The differences between regions were far from trivial, with rocks in some environments making that electrical activity up to 100 times worse than in others.
- Conclusion
So, we see that there are many studies and also Statistical data which states that there is a correlation between Astronomical phenomenon and cause of Earthquakes. But still it is not properly concluded that there is an Astronomical “causation” of Earthquakes, with more and more Statistical data (empirical evidence) alongwith Theoretical model of “Astronomical causes of Earthquakes” (mechanism)it can be concluded that Earthquake is not only a Geophysical and Geological phenomenon, but “holistically” an Astrophysical and Astronomical phenomenon.
Our Earth is part of Cosmos.
As British Astrophysicist and Astronomer Dr. Percy Seymour puts it:
(Above image taken from the book “The Scientific Basis of Astrology”, Preface- XIII, authored by Dr. Percy Seymour)
Sources: References as mentioned below
- https://astronomy.com/news/2020/07/powerful-eruptions-on-the-sun-might-trigger-earthquakes
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67860-3
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2016.20551
- https://phys.org/news/2019-05-corroborates-planetary-tidal-solar.amp
- https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/science/planets-may-affect-our-lives-after-all-1.656691
- Electromagnetic phenomena associated with Earthquakes by Dr. M. Hayakawa, The University of Electro-Communications, Department of Electronic Engineering, Japan
- Astronomical triggers as cause of Earthquakes by Alexander Safronov published in International journal of Geosciences
- Study of Co-seismic Planetary Conditions for Earthquake Prediction by Professor PN Agrawal from University of Roorkee published in "International Conferences on Recent Advances
in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and
Soil Dynamics" - https://www.sciencealert.com/damage-from-a-solar-storm-can-be-higher-if-you-live-near-particular-types-of-rocks
- Long Range Solar Flare Prediction by Dr. Jane Blizard published on October, 1969- NASA
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.eham.net/article/8828&ved=2ahUKEwi78bb7hoD9AhWdt2MGHcaLAxsQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0_-Sg5RvUufANqbNZvO35Z
Refer my below article on “Astronomical effects of different Celestial bodies on Earth”
https://link.medium.com/5wj4PkHS6xb
