Eclipse 2019: Earthquakes hit California, Alaska, Oklahoma – were they due to Super Moon?

On Monday, January 21, six quakes have struck the United States – one measuring a magnitude of 4.7. Four earthquakes have hit Alaska, one has hit Oklahoma and another California. Last night a Super Blood Wolf Moon graced the night sky, turning the Moon red in the process; but are the Blood Moon and earthquakes connected?

Of the four earthquakes to hit Alaska, one measured a magnitude 4.7, one 3.0, one 2.5 and one 2.7.

These struck between 7.59pm Sunday, January 20 (4.59am Monday GMT) and 11.33pm Sunday, January 20 (8.33am Monday GMT).

Meanwhile in Oklahoma, a magnitude 3.6 struck 20km southeast of Helena.

Finally a magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit California, just 5km east-southeast of Chester.

Read More: Lunar Eclipse pictures: London sky turns RED after ominous Blood Moon

Is there any correlation between the lunar cycle and earthquakes?

Lunar eclipses occur when the Full Moon passes into the shadow of the side of the Earth facing away from the Sun.

And because a lunar eclipse only takes place during a full moon, tides are higher during this time.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes can be up to three times more likely during high tides.

The agency said: “You must stop and realise that the background probability is, in general, very low in a given place and year (fractions of a percent), so that raising this tiny probability by a factor of 3 during high tides still results in a very tiny probability.”

However, the USGS cautions the increased likelihood still means they’re very unlikely.

The correlation between earthquakes and lunar cycles is a contested issue, as the British Geological Survey (BGS) explain that several surveys have proved either no correlation between Earth tide and Earthquakes, or a small positive correlation.

The BGS explain: “Earthquakes occur when the stress on a fault exceeds a critical threshold for fault rupture.

“It is well known that applying additional stress to a fault system that is close to failure may initiate rupture and produce an earthquake (the straw that breaks the camel’s back).

“It is possible that uplift resulting from Earth tides could reduce the normal stresses that hold faults together.

“Some recent research by Metivier et al. (2009) presents evidence for this.”

Earthquakes have been taking place frequently in Alaska this year, with hundreds of tremors since 2019 began.

source: express.co.uk