Causes of earthquakes and lithospheric plates movement

Abstract

Abstract. The goal of the paper was to verify triggering of earthquakes by the length of day variations, i.e. the sidereal 13.66 days Earth's rotation variations, in contrast with tidal biweekly 14.76 days variations (full and new Moon), which for hundred years of investigation give negative results. Earthquake triggering governed by sidereal variations caused by variable Moon's declination accelerates and decelerates the Earth's rotation. Profound Schuster's test proved that earthquakes are triggered both in Earth's deceleration and acceleration. For this investigation the most prominent earthquakes from 2010–2011 were used from Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Southeast Indian Ridge, Sumatra and Andaman Sea, Chile trench, Haiti and Honshu region including important older earthquakes of Sumatra 26 December 2004 and Denali Fault 3 November 2002. Dominant number of earthquake occurring in extremes of length of day variations initiated the calculation of forces acting in these time intervals. Calculated forces of tidal force acting on Earth's flattening and the westward drift are strong enough to trigger earthquakes and the movement of plates follows from GPS performed immediately after earthquakes on continents and from increased number of earthquakes of the side of the mid-ocean ridge belonging to the moving plate. Generally the Northern Hemisphere moves quicker westward than the Southern one. Earthquakes are repeated in 19 yr Metonic cycle. Repetitions caused by tidal force acting on Earth's fattening are exact in date. Repetitions caused by westward drift are delayed for several months.