The Sun’s energy could influence the triggering of earthquakes on Earth, a discovery that would improve seismic predictions by also considering solar forecasts.
This conclusion comes from an international team of researchers from Brazil and Japan, whose model establishes a link between solar and seismic activity through the impact of the Sun on the Earth’s atmosphere.
While scientists caution that the “effect of solar heat” on earthquakes is likely minimal, they believe it could be a key piece in the larger picture.
“This is a fascinating line of research, and we hope our study will provide more clarity about the factors that trigger earthquakes,” Matheus Saldanha, a computer scientist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, said in a statement.
Earthquakes occur as a result of the steady—though imperceptibly slow to us—movement of tectonic plates across the Earth’s surface, causing stress to build up in the crust. When stress overcomes the rock’s resistance and creates a new fault, or overcomes friction in existing fault planes, the ground shifts and releases waves of energy, causing an earthquake.
The study builds on previous research, published in 2022, which found an association between the number of sunspots and seismic activity here on Earth.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUN, ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE AND EARTHQUAKES
That analysis found that the accuracy of predicting the magnitude of the next day’s earthquake could be improved by between 2.6 and 17.9 percent when solar activity data was included.
In their latest study, the researchers analyzed earthquake data along with records of solar activity and Earth’s surface temperatures.
“Solar heat causes changes in atmospheric temperature, which in turn can affect aspects such as the properties of rocks and the movement of groundwater,” Saldanha explained.
He added: “These fluctuations can make rocks more brittle and prone to fracturing, for example, and changes in precipitation and melting can alter the pressure of tectonic plate boundaries. While these factors may not be the main drivers of earthquakes, they could still play a role in helping predict seismic activity.”
In fact, the team observed that when they incorporated details of the Earth’s surface temperature into their seismic models, they became more accurate, particularly in the case of shallow earthquakes.
Taken from Newsweek
By: José Miguel Ávila Pérez / Translated by Radio Angulo
- Ceproníquel Company Awarded National Vanguard Status - 1 de May de 2025
- Holguin residents celebrate World Proletariat Day - 1 de May de 2025
- Cuba Reaffirms Defense of Sovereignty and Rejects US Blockade - 1 de May de 2025