Modern Folklore

The Swallowing Earth
People all over the world believe that when an earthquake happens, a chasm may open up along the fault, and anybody standing over the fault will fall in and be swallowed-up by the violent earth. This is a myth. Sudden movement along a fault may create a shallow crevice; however, there is no reliable account of anyone falling to his or her death in such a crack.

Earthquake Immunity
Some people believe that they are protected from a large earthquake because their home is often shaken by small earthquakes that "let off steam". This is not true. A moderate earthquake, of Richter magnitude 5.0, releases only one thousandth of the energy of a large magnitude 7.0 earthquake. The moderate quakes may actually be precursors of larger earthquakes.

Astrological Considerations
The idea that somehow Mars, Jupiter and Saturn govern the destructive action of the earth, and the notion of earth tides as possible triggers for earthquakes is gaining popularity. Earth tides are caused as the rotating Earth is influenced by the combined gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. The most careful scientific studies do not reveal stastically meaningful correlations of earthquake occurance with tidal loading (see U.S.G.S. circular 1983).

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