Moon
Phases and Earthquakes
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The Web Science Workshop lessons were created in cooperation with the Exploratorium Teacher Institute .
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Background Information We can describe earthquakes, measure their magnitude, pinpoint their epicenters, and quantify the amount of damage which they do. Unfortunately, the one thing we have been unable to do...predict WHEN they will occur. Based on what we know about the phases of the moon and tidal forces , is it possible that they could be valuable tools in predicting earthquakes? Spring tides and neap tides occur during full and new moons when tidal forces are at their greatest. Could the increased stress placed on the Earth's crust during these tides be responsible for the triggering of an earthquake? Here's Your Job! Take a look at the dates of the "large" (7.0 or larger) earthquakes which occured in 1999. Write down the dates of all these earthquakes as you will need them for the next step. You can find the earthquake information you need here . With your list of "large" earthquakes firmly in hand, refer to the moon calendar and determine which phase the moon was in during each of the "large" earthquakes in 1999. Results Was the information you collected conclusive? Can we say that the phase of the moon can be used as an accurate earthquake predictor? Perhaps you need some more data before you feel confident with your results. If so...get pencil and paper ready for here is a list of all earthquakes recorded (or otherwise discovered) since 2150 B.C. The chart does stop in 1994, but you should still have enough data. Not to worry, because our moon calendar covers the years 3999 B.C. to 3999 A.D. Reality Check Of course, to check by hand the moon phase for every earthquake ever recorded would be unrealistic and would score very lowly on the fun-o-meter. However, extending this exercise to include all earthquakes (regardless of magnitude) in a given year may give you some conclusive results. Information For more information on earthquakes, tides, and phases of the moon, refer to one of the sites below. Earthquake links / Tidal links / Moon phase links
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