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In southern california we had a name for when it rained ~1" and then got really hot afterward - "Earthquake weather". I've asked various times and even asked L
by genewitch 2y ago
In southern california we had a name for when it rained ~1" and then got really hot afterward - "Earthquake weather".
I've asked various times and even asked LLMs if there might be some truth in the idea, but everyone assures me, same as you, that no, water doesn't affect plate movement at all.
try googling/whatever the term to correct any misinformation i gave, here.
eta: I see negative points for defining a term i heard repeatedly over two full decades of cognition. Similar to trying to google the definition, the resounding result is "no."
- narism 2y agoThere is research that does show precipitation events might influence earthquake activity: https://news.mit.edu/2024/study-heavy-snowfall-rain-may-contribute-to-earthquakes-0508 https://news.mit.edu/2024/study-heavy-snowfall-rain-may-cont... https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2006GL027642 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/200...
- genewitch 2y agoi'll read those in a bit, but my theory was: IF it rains a lot somewhere like a desert, the ground will absorb a lot of water, filling voids, washing areas out, including underground. If it then gets really hot and dry (you know, like a desert), suddenly that mud shrinks, the voids become larger, there's less friction. For sure, an earthquake didn't happen every time (or really any time in my memory) there was "earthquake" weather, but i'm guessing prior to the mid 80s it happened a few times and that's where the term started being spread. What i don't like is instant ridicule for wondering if there might be something to it. It's not like the phrase "the devil beating his wife with a frying pan" as a synonym for a specific type of weather, even!