The Effect of the Moon's Gravity on Earthquakes

Overview

Objectives/Goals This study looks at whether the moon's gravitational pull affects the frequency, magnitude, and depths of earthquakes. Methods/Materials The location of the moon at the time of each earthquake was calculated. I then computed the moon angle made by the longitude under the moon and the longitude of the earthquake. This angle was compared to the depths, magnitudes, and numbers of earthquakes, and plotted using Microsoft Excel. On the charts, sixth order polynomial trend lines are shown, and also the r^2 expression which represents the fit of the trend line, the closer to 1.0 the better fit. Results The Moon Angle did affect the number of earthquakes. This is shown in the trend lines of the graphs. They fit better as curved lines than straight lines. If the distribution of earthquakes was random and not affected, the trend lines would be straight. Conclusions/Discussion One cause of these earthquakes could the tide in the earth. This earth tide could cause tectonic plates to buckle slightly, causing earthquakes. The increases in the number of earthquakes at 90 and 270 degrees could be caused by the moon pulling simultaneously with and against the rotation of the earth. The moon angle did not significantly affect magnitude, and did not affect depth as much as expected. This research will lead to a better understanding of our earth. It will help us understand the pressure that the moon#s gravity places on it, and may eventually lead to a way to help predict earthquakes.

Competition history

• CSEF 2007 Earth & Planetary Sciences · Entry J0722

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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