Brace For Big Earthquakes As The Sun Fires Up Again

A man pointing to Portugal on a map of the Earth.

Track the earthquakes over the next few weeks as the Sun fires up some CMEs.

When the Sun fires off huge coronal mass ejections (CMEs), earthquake records show that an increase in earthquakes occur at the same time all over the world.

This connection between solar storms and earthquakes may result in some doozies over the next few weeks because the Sun is firing up again.

Big Sunspots

Most CMEs reach the Earth in one to three days after they have ejected from the Sun’s surface. A powerful CME pointed toward Earth moving over 600 miles per second can disturb the upper atmosphere enough to disrupt radio signals and affect electronic systems in satellites both in space and on the ground.

A picture of a solar flare, or CME, exploding off the surface of the Sun.

NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of M-class flares, and a 20% chance of X-flares on November 10th.

Between November 5-8, 2013, a big sunspot (tagged AR1890) erupted off the surface of the Sun and produced an intense X3-class solar flare. AR1890 has calmed down a bit, but scientists believe this could be the calm before the storm.

The expanding Jupiter-sized sunspot has a “beta-gamma-delta” magnetic field that harbors energy for future strong flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of M-class flares, and a 20% chance of X-flares on November 10th.

Big Quakes

No one can predict when large earthquakes will occur – or where – but keep an eye on the Sun (not literally), and monitor the M-class and X-flares this month. And keep your feet firmly on the ground.

 

Can Solar Storms Warn Us Of Earthquakes Coming?

A NASA picture of the Sun.

Solar flares appear to influence large earthquakes – Photo from NASA

When the Sun fires off huge coronal mass ejections (CMEs), earthquake records show that there is an increase in earthquakes at the same time all over the world.

When the Sun is calm and is not throwing out as many massive CMEs, the “number” of earthquakes worldwide goes down.

We can use this knowledge of possibilities to predict (as much as humanly possible) large earthquakes, especially near major metropolitan areas and around nuclear power plants.

Big Flares and Large Quakes

The sun has erupted more than a dozen times over the past week, throwing radiation into space; some CMEs are heading toward Earth, and some outward into the unknown. According to NASA, the Sun fired off 24 medium strength M-class flares and 4 stronger X-class flares between October 23 – 30.

A picture of a solar flare, or CME, exploding off the surface of the Sun.

Big flares appear when big quakes shake the Earth.

The following large earthquakes occurred on Earth at this time:

  1. 6.6  43km SSW of Coquimbo, Chile  2013-10-31
  2. 6.3  45km SSW of Hualian, Taiwan  2013-10-31
  3. 6.2  46km W of Constitucion, Chile  2013-10-30
  4. 7.1  Off the east coast of Honshu, Japan  2013-10-25
  5. 6.7  East of the South Sandwich Islands  2013-10-24
  6. 6.5  91km SW of Etchoropo, Mexico  2013-10-19
  7. 6.8  64km WSW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea  2013-10-16
  8. 7.1  5km SE of Sagbayan, Philippines  2013-10-15
  9. 6.4  30km W of Platanos, Greece  2013-10-12
  10. 6.1  33km N of Gueiria, Venezuela  2013-10-12
  11. 4.9  53km WNW of Eureka, California  2013-10-11
A picture of Hong Kong, Japan, a major city built within a natural disaster zone.

Humans build major populated cities on top of active earthquake zones – beautiful but dangerous.

The Solar/Quake Cycle

Today, this very minute, the solar cycle is reaching its peak, so this means that the Sun is “sucking up” more energy from its surface because its magnetic poles are preparing to flip. Scientists are monitoring this polar magnetic flip, and this should provide some hints when the next CMEs will flare up.

This should also provide us with some hints when the next large earthquakes will respond, here on the Earth.

THIS should provide the massive concentrations of people living along the most volatile earthquake zones some sort of warning when to expect larger earthquakes.

The question to ask is are we paying attention?

CMEs

Someone texting on their cell phone.

If your cell phone is acting up, it’s probably caused by the most recent CME.

Solar flares are strong bursts of radiation that sling powerful material through space toward Earth (known as a CME or coronal mass ejection), and some can be quite harmful. Most CMEs reach the Earth in one to three days after they have ejected from the Sun’s surface.

A powerful CME pointed toward Earth moving over 600 miles per second can disturb the upper atmosphere enough to disrupt radio signals and affect electronic systems in satellites both in space and on the ground.

Apparently the Earth’s earthquake zones DO respond to the Sun’s X-class flares, wouldn’t you say?

 

Solar Storms Are Down And So Are Earthquakes

A picture of a solar flare, or CME, exploding off the surface of the Sun.

Solar flares, or CMEs, exploding off the surface of the Sun are quiet right now.

There appears to be a connection between solar storms and earthquakes. It might be a coincidence, but then again, I don’t believe in coincidence.

When the Sun fires off huge coronal mass ejections (CMEs), earthquake records show that an increase in earthquakes occur at the same time all over the world.

The Sun is very calm right now, and is not throwing out as many massive CMEs; the “number” of earthquakes worldwide is also down.

Coincidence? Nah – not with Nature.

The Eye Of A Solar Storm

A picture of the Sun's coronal hole.

This coronal hole on the Sun is moving toward its North Pole. This shows movement toward an upcoming reversal of the Sun’s magnetic poles – NASA.

Right now, the solar CME cycle appears very calm. This does not mean that the current “solar cycle” is over, by any means. Actually, the present solar cycle peaks in 2013, so if anything, this means that the Sun is “sucking up” more energy from its surface as its magnetic poles prepare to flip.

Compare this to the eye of a hurricane; the eye is the center of the storm, and it is calm, quiet, sunny, and still. When you come out of the eye into the backside of the storm, you are back to hurricane winds.

No one really knows for sure, but monitoring the Sun’s polar magnetic flip should provide some hints when the CMEs will start flaring up again.

Maybe a decrease in the number of earthquakes mirrors a upcoming reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles. No one knows because human technology was not on Earth when this happened last.

EQs

At this time, there has been a decrease in the number of earthquakes, worldwide, but an increase in magnitude – the quakes that have occurred have been doozies.

The following large earthquakes (5.0 and above) have occurred worldwide over the past 7 days:

  1. 5.6  Carlsberg Ridge (Indian Ocean near equator)
  2. 7.7  Pakistan
  3. 5.9  Pakistan
  4. 5.0  Pakistan
  5. 5.6  Pakistan
  6. 3 islands formed in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Pakistan after these quakes
  7. 5.0   Pakistan
  8. 5.5   Pakistan
  9. 5.0   Pakistan
  10. 5.5   Tonga
  11. 5.4   East Pacific Rise (South Polar region)
  12. 5.4   Alaska (North Polar region)
  13. 7.0   Peru (equator)
  14. 5.4   Reykjanes Ridge, Iceland (North Polar region)
  15. 5.7   Mexico (equator)
  16. 5.0   Tonga
  17. 5.0   Pakistan
  18. 5.2   Russia (North Polar region)
  19. 5.4   North Mid-Atlantic Ridge (North Polar region)
  20. 6.8   Pakistan
  21. 5.7   Tonga
  22. 5.0   South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (South Polar region)
  23. 5.7   Tonga
  24. 5.0   South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (South Polar region)
  25. 5.0   New Guinea
  26. 5.2   Russia (North Polar region)
  27. 5.1    SW Indian Ridge
  28. 5.2   Chile
  29. 5.0   Chile
  30. 6.5   New Zealand
  31. 5.4   Mid Atlantic Ridge
  32. 5.0   New Guinea
  33. 5.0   Japan

Believe it or not, 33 earthquakes 5.0 and above is a decrease in the number of recent earthquakes, but the strength of the quakes is the difference – their magnitudes are increasing. Merely a decade ago, the list above would have been for the entire year. Today, these large quakes are occurring within a week.

As the solar cycle recharges, we’ll have to wait and see if this list increases in both number and magnitude.