Earthquake Theories.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 579, 8 October 1932, Page 8

Earthquake Theories.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —Referring to Mr G. L. Brown’s interesting comments on earthquake theories, I had hoped that someone ere now would have supplied the required information concerning earthquakes occurring at lunations of the moon. To go no further, we have the record of the great earthquake which took place at Napier on February 3. 1931, exactly at the time of full moon. Then at the lunation on May 7, 1902, which was a solar eclipse, Mont Pelee burst into eruption and devastated the island of Martinique. I have not the records before me at the moment, but I believe that there was an eclipse at the time of the great ’quake in Sicily', when more than 100,000 people perished. In “The Story of Eclipses,” Mr G. F. Chambers, F.R.A.S., records that a German physicist named Ginzel found a score of coincidences between solar eclipses and earthquakes in California between 1850 and. 188 S inclusive. Mr Chambers further remarks, “ Of course, there were eclipses without earthquakes and earthquakes without eclipses, but twenty coincidences in thirtyeight years seems suggestive of something. * Had Ginzel extended his observations to not only lunar eclipses, but also includeu. the lunations (new moon and full moon) it is probable that he would have consider* ably amplified his list. In conclusion, I would refer to the earthquake in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion of our Lord. That was on the Jewish Passover, which was at full moon. In view of the foregoing. I think Mr Howard had very good reasons for asking if the eclipse of the moon was a factor in the recent ’quake at Wairoa.—l am, etc., G.P.B.