urbanSTL

citysoul wrote:So you're saying it's pure coincidence that the quake occurred during a full moon? I'm not so convinced that the moon doesn't play a part in triggering earthquakes.

innov8ion wrote:

citysoul wrote:So you're saying it's pure coincidence that the quake occurred during a full moon? I'm not so convinced that the moon doesn't play a part in triggering earthquakes.

There is no doubt earthquakes occur during full moons -- earthquakes occur every single day!

citysoul wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the quake on 4/18 occur during a full moon? I've heard that the moon's gravitational pull is thought to affect shifting of the earth's plates.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

citysoul wrote:So you're saying it's pure coincidence that the quake occurred during a full moon? I'm not so convinced that the moon doesn't play a part in triggering earthquakes. Some famous examples:



1. The December 26, 2004, magnitude 9.1 in Sumatra, Indonesia, occurred on the day of a full moon.

2. The March 27, 1964, magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska occurred on the day of maximum high tide.

3. The February 7, 1812, estimated magnitude 8.0 earthquake along the New Madrid fault is said to have occurred during a lunar eclipse.

I notice you failed to list the hundreds of major earthquakes that didn't occur during a full moon.

Meteo wrote:Earthquakes may or may not be more likely during a full moon (I lean more towards other factors having a larger influence with the moon only having a minor influence), but have there even been hundreds of earthquakes above an 8.0 since we starting recording earthquake data?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_prediction#Tidal_forces wrote:...The latter, which arises from the periodic alignment of the Sun and Moon, has often been claimed in the popular press to incubate earthquakes (sometimes termed the "syzygy" effect) and occasionally for small datasets in the scientific literature (e.g.,[3]), but generally such effects do not appear in careful studies of large datasets.



Syzygy, which is not given much credence in the scientific community, is motivated by the observation that, historically, there have been some great earthquakes whose timing with when the tidal forces are near their maximum.

citysoul wrote: Someone didn't pay attention in science class.

The increased lunar gravitational pull during the full moon is clearly evidenced by high tides. This force also affects the earths crust.

From Geophysics in the News December 1, 2004:



"Seismologists Show Tides Can Apply Pressure on Earthquake Faults



Does the pull of the sun and moon help to trigger earthquakes? To explore this question, researchers studied tidal models and compared them to past earthquake records. The researchers concluded that ocean water does apply pressure on fault line, creating additional stresses on faults that would break anyway."



There's no reason not to believe that something as powerful as the moon's gravitational force couldn't affect our tectonic plates. Clearly, there is a direct correlation. Sure, earthquakes occur every day, some place on earth. But it's curious how the most severe quakes seem to always happen during a full moon.

citysoul wrote:So you're saying it's pure coincidence that the quake occurred during a full moon? I'm not so convinced that the moon doesn't play a part in triggering earthquakes. Some famous examples:



1. The December 26, 2004, magnitude 9.1 in Sumatra, Indonesia, occurred on the day of a full moon.

2. The March 27, 1964, magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska occurred on the day of maximum high tide.

3. The February 7, 1812, estimated magnitude 8.0 earthquake along the New Madrid fault is said to have occurred during a lunar eclipse.



Scientist and author Myron L. Fuller noted a monthly seismic frequency pattern for the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes, which he described in his 1912 book titled The New Madrid Earthquake. He noted that, "With one marked exception the groups [of New Madrid seismic events] occur approximately either at times of new or full moon."

citysoul wrote:Anyway, my point wasn't to get into a big scientific debate (after all, how many of us are actually geologists, astronomers, physics professors, etc. ?) I'm simply saying that some of the most noted major earthquakes seem to have occurred during similar lunar conditions.

citysoul wrote: I don't think my quoting from an "obscure article" is any worse than referencing Wikipedia. Jeez, people tend to quote Wiki as if it's the supreme authority and final word of all that exists. [-o<

citysoul wrote:Anyway, my point wasn't to get into a big scientific debate (after all, how many of us are actually geologists, astronomers, physics professors, etc. ?) I'm simply saying that some of the most noted major earthquakes seem to have occurred during similar lunar conditions.

citysoul wrote:What we St Louisans should really be concerned about is how truly ill-prepared we are for a major earthquake. Seems to me that if a quake the magnitude of the 1812 tremor would happen today, our metro area would grind to a screeching halt.

Urban Elitist wrote:Now I'll discuss St. Louis's preparedness for earthquaqes. We're not prepared. If the big one hits we are screwed.

Mill204 wrote:As such the only way out of St. Louis County and City will be via Manchester.