No.

Come on Jack, everyone knows it is due to global warming. Our planet is heating up, and from physics we know that things expand when they get warmer. The expansion cracks are bound to happen.

/snark off

Seriously, there are mighty gravitational forces at work. Who knows?

Hardly, although neither source offered references. So the jury's out so to speak. Out to lunch actually!

If the gravitational forces of the moon affect the tides on Earth, why not have have some influence on earthquake activity?

Scientists have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities:

Planet X, Comet Elenin, or Kirstie Alley's fall on "Dancing with the Stars."

If science class was right, I thought it had something to do with the big pot of boiling magma beneath our feet. Oh, and something called tectonic plate movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake

No tinfoil hat required.

It would be easy enough for an armchair researcher to look for a correlation by comparing other "supermoon" occurances with outbreaks of earthquakes or volcanic activity. Both events tend to get noticed and recorded.

I like the tulip banner...very cheery! Thanks

You don't think Kirstie Alley's partner isn't scared? She may be on "Dancing with the Stars" but he's on "Survivor."

It might have been caused by the mystery planet that nobody can see but certain people know is there and wreaking havoc! Either that or the forerunner for the end of the planet with 2012 and it'll go to pieces now-- over time.

Armchair science suggests a connection. The moon's gravity is known to pull on land as well as water. Tectonic stress and pressure are known to build until something triggers their sudden release. Think camel's back, and a straw.

Not a chance.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/03/11/no-the-supermoon-didnt-cause-the-japanese-earthquake/

Yeah, non-linearity.

Think of a nanotech component on an elephant's back. Or maybe the extra energy floating around the FermiLabs experiments with nutrinos. One extra tug by the moon at just the right picosecond and...poof!

We are talking events here Allan, not an event. Scientific Determinism has been falsified, so all we are left with is trends guided by statistics.

A a sole cause, clearly not. But as a precipitating event, possibly.

It stands to reason if the moon can have a pronounced effect on the earth's oceans, covering 70 percent of the surface, it can also impact the crust, directly and through the rolling motion of tides. There are data that show a correclation between moonquakes and the earth's position relative to the moon.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0523_050523_moonquake_2.html

Because the earth is so much smaller than the moon the the effect of the moon's gravitational pull on tectonic plate shifts would be much more difficult to discern -- it would probably take somewhere between dozens and hundreds of these 18-year cycles carefully tracked with modern technology to see if the impact is measurable and predictable.

If you've ever put a large basin of water down on a surface, you've witness the effect of the volume of water going back and forth fairly regularly until the energy dissipates and the water comes to rest. This is the primary cause of tides in large bodies of water. Since the earth rotates, the regular motion of the tides continue.

http://bowie.gsfc.nasa.gov/ggfc/tides/intro.html

The gravitational pull of the moon is relatively small, varying the relative difference between the high and low tides at monthly intervals, but not being primarily responsible for the tides themselves. The planet is also very plastic. While gravitational pull from the moon could possibly be a factor in a dynamic terrestrial occurrence, I would guess the sun would play a much greater roll given the degree of it's gravitational force on earth. But you don't hear too many people questioning whether the sun is responsible for geophysical events.

Jim Berkland successfully predicted specific earthquake activity during last month's supermoon. Another supermoon is happening this month, with new predictions from Jim et al: http://www.syzygyjob.com//index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=35&board=2.0

"Because the earth is so much smaller than the moon..."

Really?

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/messenger/psc/PlanetSize.html

I have a pretty good track record of predicting the non-occcurrence of earthquakes, with rare but notable exceptions.

"Common Sense tells us" and "It stands to reason", seemingly self apparent truisms, but mostly far, far from the mark. More like leading down the garden path.

Realistic assessment: it's the fun of plate tectonics and mantle plumes. The Pacific is gradually shrinking as the Atlantic expands, and this is all a precursor to Australia slamming into Vietnam within the next, oh, 40 million years.

Fun assessment: it's the Daleks, trying to soften us up before invasion. ALWAYS blame the Daleks.

Hey, Bill, let's do a play called "Hello, Daleks!"

Its all George W. Bush's fault.

Can we change the name of San Andreas to that?

A dyslexic slip there Lawrence.

Been there myself, Newleaf. But sometimes it can lead to funny punchlines.

Earthquakes happen somewhere soon after my dog and parakeet go bonkers without clue, barking and sveeting raucously.

Therefor my dog and parakeet cause earthquakes.

(Sometimes I can't tell whether the thread question is given seriously enough to hear out a serious answer.)

http://bit.ly/hF1Prf

A serious answer involves lots of thought. It is well known that earthquakes occur when the moment of geologic strain exceeds the weakest link of resistance where the wrench applies. Nobody knows in advance calculation when/where that is. Who might predict earthquakes should get rich; not necessarily who explains them.

In (2000-yr) old astrology books it says Jupiter-Saturn configurations portend earthquakes, sometimes when being at right angles (90 degrees) apart, and most often when being in exact alignment on one side or on opposite sides of the Sun; (as analog clock hands on 12 o'clock or on 12:30). Such alignment persists (alternating, every 10 years) for several (Earth) months and as the Earth during its year orbit 'crosses the line' of alignment, passing in one month between the Sun and Jupiter-Saturn, or exactly six months (half-orbit) later, then there are earthquakes ... maybe and usually. So the historic record could show half-spike and high-spike clustered quakes at 10-yr and 20-yr cycles ... if there was an historic record to see. Richter's scale reference has been in use since 1935, and worldwide instantaneous communication has existed since 1900 or so, let's say -- and 100 yrs is not much recorded history. (Later astrology books written after Uranus was discovered in 1781, say Uranus causes earthquakes most in combination with the Jupiter-Saturn patterns.) Today, for about the last 9 months and the next 6 months, Uranus and Jupiter are aligned together on the opposite side of the Sun from Saturn, all in a row. And the Earth 'races' across that line Sept.2010, April 2011, and Oct.2011.

Now another 'chunk' of thought. When earthquakes occur, modern instruments can measure the seismic waves cause a 'wiggle' in the iron-ball core of the Earth. It seems reasonable that it works in reverse, too, so that if it were possible to 'wiggle' the planet's core then it would cause earthquake(s).
Now another 'chunk' of thought. Circular flowing electricity causes a magnetic field simultaneously, and vice versa, a revolving magnetic field causes (simultaneously) electricity to flow if a conductor (wire) for it is available inside the magnetic field. (In what follows next, remember not to blur the distinction between electro-magnetic phenomena and gravity -- these are separate 'forms' of energy.) The core of the Earth rotates (but at a different speed) as the Earth (surface) rotates. Somehow the conductive iron core circles electricity around, (perhaps from charged particles in the atmosphere, streaming from the Sun, entering the ground, soil), and the core's circular flowing electricity causes the magnetic field around the Earth ... orthogonal to the plane of rotation, with a N pole and a S pole. (If the Earth did not rotate it still would have its gravity, and only that it rotates electricity is why it has a magnetic field.)

If you have an electric motor, or 'dynamo', which works by circulating an electric current within a ('permanent') magnetic field, and you insert your motor inside a much much stronger magnetic field, then you can 'seize up' the electric motor -- 'freeze' it trying to spin -- and even 'chatter' the armature shaft in its bearings.

Now ... however, the iron-ball core of the Earth does not rotate on an 'axle' with 'bearings'. Instead it 'floats' (but also rotates) in a somewhat viscous 'liquid', maybe molten 'rock' ... I say "somewhat" and "maybe" since nobody knows exactly what substances comprise the center-of-the-Earth core environment.

See here: bit.ly/hF1Prf

Encyclopedia of geomagnetism and paleomagnetism (linked by googling "seismic waves displace core"), which includes these statements:

... the inner core's importance to our understanding of Earth's structure far exceeds both its relative size and our knowledge of its properties.

Decadal changes in Earth's magnetic field, linked to torsional oscillations (q.v.) of the fluid outer core, can produce corresponding oscillations of the inner core through electromagnetic coupling.

The inner core with radius of about 1215 km resides concentrically within the much larger fluid outer core, which has a low viscosity (e.g. Poirier, 1998). Patterns of convection within the fluid core associated with the geodynamo are presumed to undergo temporal variations because the Earth's magnetic field is changing on timescales ranging over several orders of magnitude. It is therefore reasonable to speculate (Gubbins, 1981; Anderson, 1983) that the inner core might have a rotation rate somewhat different from that of the rest of the solid Earth, which is dominated by the daily rotation. If such relative rotation could be detected, it would provide information on the energy of convection patterns that maintain the geomagnetic field.

The study of inner core motion relative to the mantle and crust is difficult, because of the remoteness of the inner core (more than 5150 km from the Earth's surface where the nearest observations can be made) and its small size (about 0.7% of the Earth's volume). Also there are intrinsic difficulties in telling whether a spherical object is rotating, unless a marker on or within the object can be identified and tracked if it moves.

Now another 'chunk' of thought. The USGovt has built and is operating a High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska. Which consists of an array of SuperPowered antennas which emit and inject charged particles into the ionosphere ... or something like that. 'They' are kinda looking at what makes the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) and how to make more (or less) of it. Also, some of the 'research' is investigating the possibility (or 'potentiality' in electrical terms?) of 'zapping' intercontinental ballistic missiles with Reagan's Star Wars Ray Gun.

You should understand that 'charged particles' emission into the atmosphere is similar to but different than radiowave transmissions of Extreme Low Frequency (ELF) or Ultra High Frequency (UHF). The ELF spectrum experiments are transmitted through the crust and oceans of the Earth, (not so much the atmosphere), are primarily aimed to detect submarines at sea anywhere around the world, (although 'they' missed that Chinese sub that came up 30 miles off Los Angeles at rush hour a few months ago and, in plain sight of a CBS traffic helicopter video camera, launched a missile back across the Pacific that landed in China simply to show the wherewithal), (USG ELF's) have been going on about 20 years, and coincide with never-before-in-history-seen herds of whales or porpoises or dolphins 'beaching' themselves in an effort to get out of the water.

HAARP operations are newer, going on for only a few years now, say 2 or 3, and coinciding with flocks of birds falling dead in the middle of Nowhere, Arkansas, also Ireland, also Australia, also Africa, also Mexico, also fish masses floated belly-up, also small-mammal colonies, also starfish, and who knows what-all swarms mysteriously dying. 'Death ray' indeed.

Google 1 word, "HAARP" and you can get to this:

presscore.ca/2011/?p=1624

and see this:

Now it also seems that HAARP operations coincide with never-before-seen-in-history such clusters of earthquakes as we see these days, the last couple of years. A more conclusive statement could be made of the (a, any) relationship between HAARP operations and earthquake incidents if the (scientific) public could know the times and energy levels of HAARP operations ... since, after all, our public tax dollars built the antenna array and pays the electric bill.

I've been wondering and figuring about messing with the charged particles in the atmosphere being connected to 'wiggling' the core of the Earth. I can't say that I've figured it out, exactly ... but I sure would like to have more better data points to connect.

The internet writings (I've read) of some conspiracy hunters claim that an earthquake-causing 'machine' could be aimed at a specific location, latitude longitude depth intensity, and (so) the USG is triggering an 'armegeddon gun' at 'enemies'. In some notional fashion, I wouldn't put it past 'them' but in what I know about geology physics I am really sure (99.99% confidence factor) that there is no way in the world to aim an earthquake with pinpoint accuracy. Others say, "well 'they' could if 'they' planted hydrogen bombs in pinpoint cracks along the tectonic plate fault lines at the bottom of the ocean ...," and at which point I stop(ped) reading ... such fantasmogoria. Get some science, people.

[Anecdote alert: About talking in terms of 'chunks' of thought. At MIT was a research operation called the A.I. Lab, for Artificial Intelligence, which was supposed to be developing computer programs that could install 'thinking' (intelligence) in a computer. So the lead researcher was interviewed after a few years of research 'grants' on the job, and was asked how the work was going and what had he learned so far in order to make Artificial Intelligence. And he said, (it's a punchline -- I about busted a gut laughing for days and days, even now I smile recalling it but, please you must understand, he was both absolutely serious and truly scientifically accurate), he said, "first you have to 'chunk' the data."] [Probably in Business Management School they say 'break the project into interim goals of achievable concrete steps' ... but in the realm of thinking, creativity and inventiveness, nothing is 'concrete' solid and there is no such thing as a 'concrete step' ... unless maybe you can 'chunk' the data someway somehow. Sounds like some technical term in the Big Bang Theory.]

Oh wait wait. I forgot a 'chunk'.

See this:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51606052-78/plume-data-rock-seismic.html.csp

It's a picture of the hot lava caldera under Yellowstone Park. Instead of mapping it with sonic (seismic) wave reflection, the underground rock is mapped by electrical conductivity measurement.

Here's another (related?) question, seriously:

What's 'is? Giant ocean whirlpools puzzle scientists, Anton Yevseyev, Pravda.Ru, 12.04.2011

US scientists discovered two giant whirlpools in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Guyana and Suriname. It became a sensational discovery because this part of the ocean has been studied thoroughly, and no one expected anything like that to appear in the area. More importantly, no one can understand where the whirlpools came from and what surprises they may bring to people. ... Why do those whirlpools exist for such a long time? This is partially the effect of Earth's magnetic field. In addition, marine water contains many charged ions, Na and Cl for example. To crown it all, water molecules are dipoles that are charged both positively and negatively.

Any dipole starts spinning when moving in the magnetic field. ...

???