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Originally posted by worldwatcher
I would love to hear more about your theory regarding correlation between quakes and a full moon.
The Earth and moon are closest together—at perigee—once a month. The Earth and sun are closest together—at perihelion—once a year. Perihelion currently occurs in early January. Maximum gravitation force occurs when a syzygy and perigee occur on the same day as perihelion.
According to Berkland, seismometers left on the moon by Apollo astronauts show that moonquakes occur most frequently at perigee.
"So we know Earth's gravity triggers moonquakes. I don't think any scientist disputes that," Berkland said. "When I learned that, I went to my former [U.S. Geological Survey] colleagues in Menlo Park [California] and pointed out this really exists, so what's so difficult about turning it around?"
According to Berkland, the U.S. Geological Survey said such a theory is ridiculous—the Earth is 82 times more massive than the moon. Though the Earth can trigger quakes on the moon, they said, the moon is too small to trigger any earthquakes.
But the moon is mostly solid and lacks a liquid core like the Earth, Berkland said. The Earth "is an active, living planet, and so it is not at all surprising that minor gravitational stresses can trigger earthquakes," he said.
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"Syzygy" refers to the alignment of three celestial objects. Syzygy of the sun, Earth, and moon occur twice a month, at the full and new moons. At such times, gravitational forces are at a maximum, especially when the bodies are close together, Berkland said.
Originally posted by woogleuk
Don't be silly, the gravitational pull of the moon is no greater when it's full, it's just its positioning in the sky in relation (its in a locked orbit remember thats why we only see one side of it) to the position of the sun // earth. Believe me when I say that a new moon, gibbous, half or whatever moon it decides to be has the same gravitational pull. I'm not saying the moon doesn't affect earthquakes, it might, but it's nothing to do with its phase.
Originally posted by woogleuk
Believe me when I say that a new moon, gibbous, half or whatever moon it decides to be has the same gravitational pull.