Quote:
Recent studies by USGS scientists have revealed that the full Moon at lunar perigee may cause slight seismic activity. When the Sun and the Moon are aligned on the same or the opposite sides of the Earth, the Moon’s gravity causes ocean tides and land tides or Earth tides, which may be the reason for shallow, low-intensity quakes.4 (To learn more about the Moon’s tidal effect on the Earth’s ocean, read “Ocean Tides and the Moon: How the Moon Affects the Tides”.)
When the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned, we have a full Moon or new Moon day, which causes ocean tides and Earth tides. When the Sun, Earth and the Moon are aligned at perigee, the tides (high tides and low tides) are at their peak. This, according to geologists, can slightly increase the seismic activity in areas such as the Pacific Northwest. Seismologists like John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, assert that the full Moon can cause land tides, but a “very small increase in tectonic activity” has been observed when the Sun, Earth and the Moon are aligned. He also adds that “there is a less than 1-percent increase in the seismic activity in these areas.5"
While this news can be meat for doomsday prophecy experts and astrologers to back their claims, scientists say there’s no need to worry as the gravitational effect of the full Moon on Earth won’t have any significant effect on seismic activity.
The moon was pretty awesome though.
