A groundbreaking study titled “Theoretical Constraints on Tidal Triggering of Slow Earthquakes,” led by a team of exoplanetary scientists, has revealed that the sun and the moon might might play a role in triggering earthquakes.

While the moon provides the dominant gravitational pull, the sun amplifies that energy by aligning with the moon. The resulting electromagnetic jolts from solar flares can cause movement in unstable plates of the Earth’s crust.

How do the sun and the moon trigger earthquakes?

The sun and moon are responsible for ocean tides. However, they also slightly stretch and squeeze Earth’s solid crust. Sometimes this tiny squeeze can cause Earth’s crust to shift. The crust contains faults, which are fractures where rocks can slide past each other. The pull of the sun and the moon is incredibly small but under certain conditions, it can cause rocks to slide along faults in Earth’s crust. The study focuses on how celestial tidal forces interact with fault lines.

Scientists employed computer modelling to prove that these forces operate according to the physics of resonance. This means that a push, despite being gentle can create a change under the right rhythm. Therefore, when the cyclic pull of the sun and moon match the natural internal rhythm of a fault line, earthquakes are triggered.

However, these rhythmic pushes cause slow earthquakes. Tectonic plates move past each underground for weeks before without causing violent shaking on the surface. Therefore, the sun and the moon do not create earthquakes but provide a catalyst for the movement of tectonic plates that can build up for hundreds of years.

Implications of the study

The ability to understand resonance will allow scientists to measure specific days of the month when gravitational pull is at its peak. Therefore, this data can be used by disaster response teams to narrow down “high-risk” windows for potential tectonic shifts. The findings also enable scientists to determine how sensitive certain fault lines are to tides. Therefore, they can monitor the condition of such fault lines from the surface and prepare accordingly.

The slow earthquakes caused by the sun and moon happen silently for years underground until one day they cause a destructive earthquake. Relying on the findings of this study, scientists can now predict and monitor slippage along tectonic plates. They can predict earthquakes before they build up. Using variables such as amplitude and period of tidal stress, scientists can create a mathematical model for predicting earthquakes with greater precision.