Will March 19 'Super Moon' Cause Natural Disasters?
222 replies, posted
[quote]On March 19, the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18 years, lighting up the night sky from just 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away. On top of that, it will be full. And one astrologer believes it could inflict massive damage on the planet.
Richard Nolle, a noted astrologer who runs the website astropro.com, has famously termed the upcoming full moon at lunar perigee (the closest approach during its orbit) an "extreme supermoon."
When the moon goes super-extreme, Nolle says, chaos will ensue: Huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters can be expected to wreak havoc on Earth. (It should be noted that astrology is not a real science, but merely makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.)
But do we really need to start stocking survival shelters in preparation for the supermoon? [Photos: Our Changing Moon]
The question is not actually so crazy. In fact scientists have studied related scenarios for decades. Even under normal conditions, the moon is close enough to Earth to make its weighty presence felt: It causes the ebb and flow of the ocean tides.
The moon's gravity can even cause small but measureable ebbs and flows in the continents, called "land tides" or "solid Earth tides," too. The tides are greatest during full and new moons, when the sun and moon are aligned either on the same or opposite sides of the Earth.
According to John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington in Seattle and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, particularly dramatic land and ocean tides do trigger earthquakes. "Both the moon and sun do stress the Earth a tiny bit, and when we look hard we can see a very small increase in tectonic activity when they're aligned," Vidale told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to SPACE.com.
At times of full and new moons, "you see a less-than-1-percent increase in earthquake activity, and a slightly higher response in volcanoes."
The effect of tides on seismic activity is greatest in subduction zones such as the Pacific Northwest, where one tectonic plate is sliding under another. William Wilcock, another seismologist at the University of Washington, explained: "When you have a low tide, there's less water, so the pressure on the seafloor is smaller. That pressure is clamping the fault together, so when it's not there, it makes it easier for the fault to slip."
According to Wilcock, earthquake activity in subduction zones at low tides is 10 percent higher than at other times of the day, but he hasn't observed any correlations between earthquake activity and especially low tides at new and full moons. Vidale has observed only a very small correlation.
What about during a lunar perigee? Can we expect more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on March 19, when the full moon will be so close?
The moon's gravitational pull at lunarperigee, the scientists say, is not different enough from its pull at other times to significantly change the height of the tides and thus the likelihood of natural disasters. [Infographic: Phases of the Moon Explained]
"A lot of studies have been done on this kind of thing by USGS scientists and others," John Bellini, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told Life's Little Mysteries. "They haven't found anything significant at all."
Vidale concurred. "Practically speaking, you'll never see any effect of lunar perigee," he said. "It's somewhere between 'It has no effect' and 'It's so small you don't see any effect.'"
The bottom line is, the upcoming supermoon won't cause a preponderance of earthquakes, although the idea isn't a crazy one.
"Earthquakes don't respond as much to the tides as you'd think they would. There should actually be more of an effect," said Vidale.
Most natural disasters have nothing to do with the moon at all. The Earth has a lot of pent up energy, and it releases it anytime the buildup gets too great. The supermoon probably won't push it past the tipping point, but we'll know for sure, one way or the other, by March 20[/quote]
[url]http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110310/sc_space/willmarch19supermoontriggernaturaldisasters[/url]
no
[quote]one astrologer believes[/quote]
sigh.
Come at me moon
All I read in the entire article was "blah blah blah, pack survival gear, blah blah blah, we're serious, blah blah blah, something might happen, blah blah, conspiracy.
I'll just chill at the closest beach and watch as the Moon rips apart the planet and moves continents and stuff.
Really...nothing SEVERE is going to happen. It's the same as always.
[quote](It should be noted that astrology is not a real science, but merely makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.)[/quote]
Yes, it should be noted.
It should be noted so hard that this thread doesn't even get posted in the first place.
The last time it happened was 2 days after my birth, now 18 years later it's doing it again? I shall become a super hero
[sp]instead of boxes can I get clocks[/sp]
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Misuse of spoiler tags" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Zeke129;28538409]
It should be noted so hard that this thread doesn't even get posted in the first place.[/QUOTE]
This thread? As in Moon related threads are banned or as in you are having a bad day and want to shove it on us?
[media]http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/d219f59aaf68268b76b8b489c11256af.jpg[/media]
Super moon you say?
[QUOTE=ColdWave;28538437]This thread? As in Moon related threads are banned or as in you are having a bad day and want to shove it on us?[/QUOTE]
What "one astrologer says" isn't news
i could interview my cat and get something more newsworthy
i also don't have a cat
it wont
[QUOTE=Nathax;28538470]i could interview my cat and get something more newsworthy
i also don't have a cat[/QUOTE]
You could interview my cat?
[editline]10th March 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=AtomicWaffle;28538445][media]http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/d219f59aaf68268b76b8b489c11256af.jpg[/media]
Super moon you say?[/QUOTE]
To be honest I know you guys so well I knew this would be the "gag" of this thread.
[img]http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcibt4l79j1qzfmr3o1_500.gif[/img]
Seriously, nothing is going to happen no matter how much quack/junk science you manage to conjure.
I will kill the moon before this happens.
[QUOTE=doonbugie2;28538759]I will kill the moon before this happens.[/QUOTE]
Thanks bro.
Hey guys, I think that the worlds gonna end tomorrow because of the sun exploding. I did research and everything
Yo astrologers!
Fffuck stars!
Astrologer
they consider THOSE people valid sources of information?
full moons always draw out rapists
i should know, im one of them
i meant werewolves
An astrologer believes something that only the astronomers have majored in? Looks legit to me.
Although Alfred Wegener was right, and he was a meteorologist.
[QUOTE=Moose;28539297]full moons always draw out rapists
i should know, im one of them
i meant werewolves[/QUOTE]
I'm a werewolf rapist
I read "earthquakes and volcanic eruptions" and I was all HOLY SHIT! Then I saw astrologer and I lol'd
Best Korea is gonna bring the moon to earth and make it hit South Korea.
Super Moon? Who came up with that term anyway?
march 21st apocalypse is looking more likely now.
How big will it look? Hope it looks purty.
Also, this song is slightly-relevant.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9MZNEXrElw[/media]
[QUOTE=ridinmybike;28539396]march 21st apocalypse is looking more likely now.[/QUOTE]
May 21st.
Super moon pls go
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