Climate change affects tectonic plate movement, causing earthquakes: study

[one...two...tree 2,762]

SYDNEY (AFP) – Scientists have for the first time shown a link between intensifying climate events and tectonic plate movement in findings that could provide a valuable insight into why huge tremors occur.

Understanding why plates change direction and speed is key to unlocking huge seismic events such as last month's Japan earthquake, which shifted the Earth's axis by several inches, or February's New Zealand quake.

An Australian-led team of researchers from France and Germany found that the strengthening Indian monsoon had accelerated movement of the Indian plate over the past 10 million years by a factor of about 20 percent.

Lead researcher Giampiero Iaffaldano said Wednesday that although scientists have long known that tectonic movements influence climate by creating new mountains and sea trenches, his study was the first to show the reverse.

"The closure or opening of new ocean basins or the build of large mountain bands like the Andes or Tibet itself, those are geological processes that affect the pattern of climate," said Iaffaldano, an earth scientist with the Australian National University.

"We are showing for the first time that the opposite also is true, that the pattern of climate is then able to affect back in a feedback mechanism the motion of tectonic plates."

Iaffaldano stressed that his study did not mean that global warming would translate to stronger earthquakes happening more often, with the relevant patterns developing over "the order of millions of years."

"Of course earthquakes do occur at the boundaries between plates because of plate motions, but our work doesn't imply at all that we will see an increase in these types of events," he told AFP.

Iaffaldano collaborated with Universite de Rennes geoscientist Laurent Husson and Hans-Peter Bunge from Munich's LMU university on the study, which was recently published in the Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal.

The team plans to build on the study by probing whether climate events have had a similar impact in other regions.

"For example I can imagine that there might be a signature of climate in the Andes for example or in the Rocky Mountains," said Iaffaldano.

"This is something that we should look at in the future."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/13/climate-can-drive-seismic-shifts-study/

[^_^ 5,021]

stfu steven.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Interesting

[Zero Sum 305]

I understand what they're saying. And its probably not very much affecting man-made climate change much more than whatever natural cycle this represents, but I'm sure this will be purposefully misrepresented by others that didn't quite read the potential correlation mentioned in the news article.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Oh brother!! :rofl: :rofl:

This is lame even for the GW nuts. Whats next? GW causes the earths orbit to shift? How about GW causing the sun to go nova? Maybe GW will cause the borg to come and take over. Thats it! The borg is causing GW so the planet is habitable for them! Watch out for the invasion!!!!

Your hat is ready for you Steven.

[Zero Sum 305]

Oh brother!! :rofl: :rofl:

This is lame even for the GW nuts. Whats next? GW causes the earths orbit to shift? How about GW causing the sun to go nova? Maybe GW will cause the borg to come and take over. Thats it! The borg is causing GW so the planet is habitable for them! Watch out for the invasion!!!!

Your hat is ready for you Steven.

Hey buddy... post #4 kind of got you. The research conducted shows otherwise to your knee-jerk:

Iaffaldano stressed that his study did not mean that global warming would translate to stronger earthquakes happening more often, with the relevant patterns developing over "the order of millions of years."

[Vi-Jay 218]

What about H.A.A.R.P.?

Is it just me or does any1 else smell $$$$$$?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Hey buddy... post #4 kind of got you. The research conducted shows otherwise to your knee-jerk:

It didn't "kind of got me". This is total nonsense. Steven posted this with the clear intent of trying to say GW is causing earthquakes. As usual he is posting the same nonsense and as usual you are defending it. Come on man, I have respect for you, don't tell me you are a part of the tin foil bregade.

[Zero Sum 305]

It didn't "kind of got me". This is total nonsense. Steven posted this with the clear intent of trying to say GW is causing earthquakes. As usual he is posting the same nonsense and as usual you are defending it. Come on man, I have respect for you, don't tell me you are a part of the tin foil bregade.

You need to take a breather and take words as they are. I am talking about the research, not Steven's intentions. For that, its best to ask him instead of assuming. Did it occur to you that maybe he put this out to bait people into not reading things carefully? Check out post #4...

If you can't defend words as they are written, then you have nothing to add other than what your feelings are on the subject that isn't being presented by the researchers.

Unless of course, you know more than the researchers know. And for that there is no counter-argument, being the internet and all.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You need to take a breather and take words as they are. I am talking about the research, not Steven's intentions. For that, its best to ask him instead of assuming. Did it occur to you that maybe he put this out to bait people into not reading things carefully? Check out post #4...

If you can't defend words as they are written, then you have nothing to add other than what your feelings are on the subject that isn't being presented by the researchers.

Unless of course, you know more than the researchers know. And for that there is no counter-argument, being the internet and all.

Thanks, Zero.

My 'intention' of the article was to share an interesting scientific find - that climate can effect tectonics as the opposite is also true.

Edited April 14, 2011 by 8TBVBN

[JohnSmith2007 353]

You need to take a breather and take words as they are. I am talking about the research, not Steven's intentions. For that, its best to ask him instead of assuming. Did it occur to you that maybe he put this out to bait people into not reading things carefully? Check out post #4...

If you can't defend words as they are written, then you have nothing to add other than what your feelings are on the subject that isn't being presented by the researchers.

Unless of course, you know more than the researchers know. And for that there is no counter-argument, being the internet and all.

Read the opening line and say that all again.

Scientists have for the first time shown a link between intensifying climate events and tectonic plate movement in findings that could provide a valuable insight into why huge tremors occur.

This is just another bogus attempt by Steven to link GW to anything and everything. That was his only intent.

[Vi-Jay 218]

That word, "science".

It always bothers me.

How 'bout we always add, "practiced" to science?

Edited April 14, 2011 by Vi-Jay

[Zero Sum 305]

Thanks, Zero.

My 'intention' of the article was to share an interesting scientific find - that climate can effect tectonics as the opposite is also true.

There you have it, John. Steven is not implying anything about 'Man'-Made GW.

Read the opening line and say that all again.

This is just another bogus attempt by Steven to link GW to anything and everything. That was his only intent.

I see. And you accuse someone of being in a tin-foil hat brigade?

GW/Climate Change has always been happening. It wouldn't be crazy to find links between climate events and the geology. This research team just showed some preliminary correlation. Breathe.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

There you have it, John. Steven is not implying anything about 'Man'-Made GW.

Have you done a diagnostic on your logic circuits, HAL?