Is the Japanese earthquake the latest natural disaster to have been caused by a 'supermoon'?





The powerful tsunami that today slammed into Japan's eastern coast comes just two days after warnings that the movement of the moon could trigger unpredictable events on Earth.

Astrologers predicted that on March 19 - a week tomorrow - the so-called 'supermoon' will be closer to Earth than at any time since 1992, just 221,567 miles away, and that its gravitational pull will bring chaos to Earth.

Others on the Internet have predicted it will cause further catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Coming just three weeks after the quake which devastated Christchurch in New Zealand killing hundreds, this latest disaster will only add fuel to their fire.

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A whirlpool caused by currents from a tsunami near the port of Oarai after Japan was struck by a strong earthquake off its north-eastern coast today. The disaster comes two days after online warnings that the movement of the moon will trigger tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes

SEISMICALLY ACTIVE - JAPAN'S LONG HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. Several continental and oceanic plates - the Pacific Plate, Philippine Plate, Eurasian Plate and North American Plate - meet in the Japan area, which is why there are so many volcanoes and hot springs across the nation. Located in a volcanic zone so active it is nicknamed the Pacific Ring of Fire, catastrophic earthquakes occur several times each century. Japan has suffered an estimated 200 recorded tsunamis in its history due to earthquakes that take place below or close to the Pacific Ocean. In October 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Niigata region in northern Japan, killing 65 people and injuring more than 3,000. That was the deadliest quake since a magnitude 7.3 tremor hit the city of Kobe in 1995, killing more than 6,400.

However the 'supermoon' date is still eight days away. But those that adhere to this particular belief could claim that this was still close enough for there to be some kind of effect.

Two days ago, in an interview with ABC radio discussing the potential impact of the March 19 supermoon, astrologer Richard Nolle, who first coined the term in 1979, said he was convinced that lunar perigees cause natural disasters on Earth.

'Supermoons have a historical association with strong storms, very high tides, extreme tides and also earthquakes,' he said.

However, scientists dismiss this as utter nonsense and that although it makes a good photo opportunity for astronomers it has no impact on Earth.

Dr David Harland, space historian and author, said: 'It's possible that the moon may be a kilometre or two closer to Earth than normal at a perigee, but it's an utterly insignificant event.'

Professor George Helffrich, a seismologist at the University of Bristol was equally dismissive.

'Complete nonsense. The moon has no significant effect on earthquake triggering.

'If the moon triggers "big" earthquakes, it would trigger the many of millions of times more "small" earthquakes that happen daily. There is no time dependence of those; hence no moon effect.'

The moon's orbit around Earth is not a circle, but an ellipse. At its closest approach - the perigee - the moon appears brighter and larger in the sky. When it is furthest away - the apogee - it is smaller and dimmer.

The moon's orbit around Earth is not a circle, but an ellipse. At its closest approach - the perigee - the moon appears brighter and larger in the sky. When it is furthest away - the apogee - it is smaller and dimmer

WHAT CAUSED THE EARTHQUAKE?

Dr Roger Musson, of the British Geological Survey (BGS), explained that the devastating earthquake occurred because the Pacific Plate is plunging underneath Japan.

He said: 'The cause of this earthquake is that the Pacific Plate, which is one of the largest of the tectonic plates that makes up the crust of the Earth, is plunging deep underneath Japan. 'It's being pushed down and it can't slide down smoothly so it sticks. 'It sticks for tens of years and then eventually it breaks and moves very suddenly down and as it does so it buckles and gives the seabed a sudden kick over areas of hundreds of square kilometres and that displaces an enormous volume of water.

'That water just races away in the form of this enormous wave in all directions.' Last month's New Zealand quake was caused by the Pacific Plate being forced under the Indo-Australian Plate.



A lunar perigee occurs once a month. However, next week's perigee coincides with a full moon - a combination of events that happen just once every two or three years.

John S Whalley, geoscience programme manager at the University of Portsmouth, agreed there was no correlation.



'There is no established correlation between variations in the orbit of the moon and either the number or magnitude of earthquakes.



'It is all too easy, with hindsight, to link major earthquakes to variations in all sort of parameters.



'The real test is to look at the vast numbers of earthquakes of all magnitudes that occur on a daily basis worldwide.

'Any correlation with the lunar orbit would have to be established on the basis of this population of earthquakes, not on individual high magnitude events. In need hardly add that no such correlation has been established.'

However, despite this wall of doubt there is a small and vocal minority of astrologers that insist a supermoon or 'lunar perigee' does exist.