Earthquakes may triple next year, researchers warn
- 6 years ago
INDIANAPOLIS — The number of intense earthquakes may increase in 2018, according to new research.
The prediction warns that as the Earth's rotation slows, the amount of earthquakes increase.
Researchers say the planet is currently in the fourth year of these five-year periodical slowdowns. They warn this could see a threefold increase in earthquakes next year, from 6 in 2017 to 20 in 2018.
"Next year we should see a significant increase in numbers of severe earthquakes," said University of Colorado researcher Dr. Roger Bilham. "So far we have only had about six severe earthquakes. We could easily have 20 a year starting in 2018."
Bilham, along with Rebecca Bendick from the University of Montana, studied earthquakes of magnitude 7 and higher since 1900 and found five instances of seismic increases. Most of the greater earthquakes occurred near the equator.
Scientists suspect this maybe because of small changes in the Earth's core, but exactly why earthquakes would respond to a slowing Earth is unknown.
New Zealand seismology experts at the University of Otago said they don't support the findings, and that the research shouldn't inspire panic. They called it "another example of a fortuitous correlation between earthquake occurrence and an unrelated phenomenon."
The prediction warns that as the Earth's rotation slows, the amount of earthquakes increase.
Researchers say the planet is currently in the fourth year of these five-year periodical slowdowns. They warn this could see a threefold increase in earthquakes next year, from 6 in 2017 to 20 in 2018.
"Next year we should see a significant increase in numbers of severe earthquakes," said University of Colorado researcher Dr. Roger Bilham. "So far we have only had about six severe earthquakes. We could easily have 20 a year starting in 2018."
Bilham, along with Rebecca Bendick from the University of Montana, studied earthquakes of magnitude 7 and higher since 1900 and found five instances of seismic increases. Most of the greater earthquakes occurred near the equator.
Scientists suspect this maybe because of small changes in the Earth's core, but exactly why earthquakes would respond to a slowing Earth is unknown.
New Zealand seismology experts at the University of Otago said they don't support the findings, and that the research shouldn't inspire panic. They called it "another example of a fortuitous correlation between earthquake occurrence and an unrelated phenomenon."