Are 'super moon,' powerful earthquakes correlated?
.jpg?w=728)
A commercial jet flies in front of the moon on approach to Heathrow Airport in west London on November 13. After a series of earthquakes hit Asia-Pacific countries during the day of the “super moon” (Nov. 14), many Koreans are anxious over possible quakes in the country. / Korea Times file
By Lee Jin-a
Concerns are growing over the chance of major earthquakes in Korea after quakes struck the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, Japan and New Zealand, around Nov. 14 — the day of the “super moon” — when the moon was at its closest in 68 years.
From Sunday to Tuesday, several earthquakes were detected in these countries. A theory claiming the unusual lunar phenomenon might have triggered the quakes went viral on social network services.
At 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, after a 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit Fukushima Prefecture at 7:43 a.m. Monday. A 5.1-magnitude aftershock hit southern New Zealand at 4:17 a.m. Tuesday, following a powerful 7.8-magnitude quake that struck the region on Sunday, killing at least two people and causing widespread damage.
Mary Kimber stands in her kitchen following an earthquake in Waiau, New Zealand Monday, Nov. 14, 2016. A powerful earthquake that rocked New Zealand on Monday triggered landslides and a small tsunami, cracked apart roads and homes, but largely spared the country the devastation it saw five years ago when a deadly earthquake struck the same region. / AP-Yonhap
Many Koreans are concerned by the theory after a 3.5-magnitude earthquake rattled the southern city of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, on Sunday. They fear another powerful quake like the one that rocked Gyeongju in September may hit the peninsula.
“I wanted to go to Gangwon Province to see the moon but I decided to stay at home in case of possible earthquakes,” a netizen posted on Facebook Monday. Another netizen said: “I used to ignore these kinds of conspiracy theories but after I directly experienced the Gyeongju earthquakes, I am quiet afraid.”
In a study published by science journal “Nature” in September, seismologists at the University of Tokyo found that large quakes such as those that hit Chile and east Japan occurred near the time of maximum tidal strain -- during new and full moons, when the sun, moon and Earth align. They said the fraction of high-magnitude earthquakes goes up globally as tidal stresses rise.
Cracks have appeared in roads around Centre Port, after a 7.5 earthquake based around Cheviot in the South island shock the capital, in Wellington, New Zealand, early 14 November 2016. / AP-Yonhap
But Professor Cho Won-chul of Yonsei University told Chosun Ilbo that there is no scientific evidence to support the theory.
“Earthquakes are usually caused by the lava beneath the crust,” Cho said. “It is difficult to say that quakes are caused by other forces such as the gravity of the moon.”