Eclipse & Earthquake Simulator
by Britton LaRoche · 01/07/2009 (7:45 pm) · 7 comments
Every now and again I have a great idea for game that has a practical application. I think the TGE and a basic physics engine would make this simulator viable. I'm not going to do this anytime soon, so I'm releasing this idea into the royalty free public domain. Anyone who wants to do this by all means, give it a shot!
Earthquake / Eclipse Simulator
The idea is there are a number of websites and even a few TV shows that claim there is a number of ways to predict an earthquake. One of them is to look at the solar eclipse and the major earth "tectonic" plates for continental drift. When the gravitational force of the sun and moon are both pulling on a plate that has not had series of recent earth quakes, the extra pull is all that is needed to "pop the seam" and cause a major quake.
Updated July 07 2009: I've found a tremendous amount of correlative evidence to earthquakes and eclipses. Read more on my blog post link below:
Table of Contents
Page 1 - The Theory and Prediction
Page 2 - Supporting evidence
Page 3 - The Geologist behind the Eclipse Quake Theory
The theory is based on gravitation pull and the earth's tectonic plates
A solar eclipse means that the moon is blocking the sun. The moon has enough gravitational pull to cause the tides an other natural phenomena on earth. The sun has enough gravitational pull to keep the earth in orbit. The theory is that during a solar eclipse, the moon has the Sun's added pull on the earth's tectonic plates. When the Sun and Moon are together on one side of the planet, they pull together and lift up the earth's tectonic plate, just beneath the eclipse. This causes the plate to shift upward, and then an earth quake when the lifted plate gets the little extra push (lift) it needed to move over its neighboring plate. The theory may be hair brained, or it might actually have some pull to it. (pun intended) I'd like to do a simulator game to find out.
Online Documents for the Eclipse Quake Theory
I saw a documentary on this theory on the (Discovery Chanel? Can't Remember) a year or so ago. The closest thing I could find online (in reference to the eclipse earthquake theory) is this one: India planetary angular momentum theory. The problem is, its not exactly the same theory... its not a "solar eclipse" causing the earthquake, its the moon inline with the gravitational pull of the other planets.
Making the simulator
So you start and make a simulated, earth sun and moon in a TGEA map with the terrain removed. (Space Map)
Space Map Resource
Space Map Forum Post
The TGEA model earth would be a basic dts sphere. It would then have some curved meshes (dts objects) mounted to on it to simulate the shifting continental plates. The model earth and moon would respond to real game physics for gravity to simulate an orbit. The dts mesh plates would also respond to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. In the TGEA simulation, the sun could simply be be a fixed gravitational spot (and source of light).
I think some plates are known to be on top, and others to be on the bottom where they meet, so this is kind of important. To do it right, the tectonic plate meshes would need to have collision detection much better than a simple bounding box. It can't be built to actual scale (distance between a scaled down version of the earth and moon is too great for a basic TGEA map), and the physics can only approximate the real pull... but a basic approximation of the theory could be done.
Earth Plate Tectonics
Then you feed in the eclipse data so the moon is orbiting correctly... and let the simulation begin on a certain date. Eclipse and earth quake data below.
eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/43.45.-111.-109_eqs.php
You could do it for past earth quakes to see the correlation too. If anyone wants to do this game, by all means go for it. Who knows? You might even get a government grant to fund its development. The image above shows a total eclipse in South East Asia July 2009. (It starts right over the plates between India and Burma). Bangladesh may be a mess this summer.
I can see the seam right in the middle of the pacific where the eclipse is in full effect. I wonder if a major earthquake would create a tsunami for Japan and New Zealand. If this theory is right then Japan would get a both a quake and a tsunami this summer. I'm really curios to see if there is anything to this theory. This one article Russian confirm planetary angular momentum theory ... seems kind a half baked.
World Earthquake Maps
Simulations
SCEC Southern California Earthquake Center
Video of Earthquake, and Tsunami Simulation
Disaster machines: Simulating earthquakes
M7.0 Earthquake Simulation for Hayward Fault, California
TGEA 1.8.0 looks much better than any of the other computer simulation software I've seen so far. I think we could use shaders to show the stress and pull of the moon on the earth's plates. When the moon hits the seams we could use an earth quake shader like the last video with the ripple.
Parting Thoughts
Wikipedia Tides
The tidal forces are also stronger when the sun and moon are inline. The thought is that the liquid hot magma beneath the tectonic plates must also follow a similar principle. The earth rotates beneath the moon faster than the moon orbits the earth. So in theory a few hours before / after the eclipse you could have some shifting in the tidal magma beneath the tectonic plate. The whole day of July 22 2009 will be interesting. The earth will rotate in the summer so that the northern hemisphere is facing the sun. The moon will cross over 3 distinct tectonic plates known for earth quakes on that day.
Updated July 07 2009: I've found a tremendous amount of correlative evidence to earthquakes and eclipses. Read more on my blog post link below:
Table of Contents
Page 1 - The Theory and Prediction
Page 2 - Supporting evidence
Page 3 - The Geologist behind the Eclipse Quake Theory
Its perfectly possible there will be some pretty heavy earthquakes in those regions on July 22 2009.
Final Blog and Predictions for the Eclipse Earthquake theory here
Earthquake / Eclipse Simulator
The idea is there are a number of websites and even a few TV shows that claim there is a number of ways to predict an earthquake. One of them is to look at the solar eclipse and the major earth "tectonic" plates for continental drift. When the gravitational force of the sun and moon are both pulling on a plate that has not had series of recent earth quakes, the extra pull is all that is needed to "pop the seam" and cause a major quake.
Updated July 07 2009: I've found a tremendous amount of correlative evidence to earthquakes and eclipses. Read more on my blog post link below:
Table of Contents
Page 1 - The Theory and Prediction
Page 2 - Supporting evidence
Page 3 - The Geologist behind the Eclipse Quake Theory
The theory is based on gravitation pull and the earth's tectonic plates
A solar eclipse means that the moon is blocking the sun. The moon has enough gravitational pull to cause the tides an other natural phenomena on earth. The sun has enough gravitational pull to keep the earth in orbit. The theory is that during a solar eclipse, the moon has the Sun's added pull on the earth's tectonic plates. When the Sun and Moon are together on one side of the planet, they pull together and lift up the earth's tectonic plate, just beneath the eclipse. This causes the plate to shift upward, and then an earth quake when the lifted plate gets the little extra push (lift) it needed to move over its neighboring plate. The theory may be hair brained, or it might actually have some pull to it. (pun intended) I'd like to do a simulator game to find out.
Online Documents for the Eclipse Quake Theory
I saw a documentary on this theory on the (Discovery Chanel? Can't Remember) a year or so ago. The closest thing I could find online (in reference to the eclipse earthquake theory) is this one: India planetary angular momentum theory. The problem is, its not exactly the same theory... its not a "solar eclipse" causing the earthquake, its the moon inline with the gravitational pull of the other planets.
Making the simulator
So you start and make a simulated, earth sun and moon in a TGEA map with the terrain removed. (Space Map)
Space Map Resource
Space Map Forum Post
The TGEA model earth would be a basic dts sphere. It would then have some curved meshes (dts objects) mounted to on it to simulate the shifting continental plates. The model earth and moon would respond to real game physics for gravity to simulate an orbit. The dts mesh plates would also respond to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. In the TGEA simulation, the sun could simply be be a fixed gravitational spot (and source of light).
I think some plates are known to be on top, and others to be on the bottom where they meet, so this is kind of important. To do it right, the tectonic plate meshes would need to have collision detection much better than a simple bounding box. It can't be built to actual scale (distance between a scaled down version of the earth and moon is too great for a basic TGEA map), and the physics can only approximate the real pull... but a basic approximation of the theory could be done.
Earth Plate Tectonics
Then you feed in the eclipse data so the moon is orbiting correctly... and let the simulation begin on a certain date. Eclipse and earth quake data below.
Quote:On Wednesday, 2009 July 22, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path crosses Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 min 39 s. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.
eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/43.45.-111.-109_eqs.php
You could do it for past earth quakes to see the correlation too. If anyone wants to do this game, by all means go for it. Who knows? You might even get a government grant to fund its development. The image above shows a total eclipse in South East Asia July 2009. (It starts right over the plates between India and Burma). Bangladesh may be a mess this summer.
I can see the seam right in the middle of the pacific where the eclipse is in full effect. I wonder if a major earthquake would create a tsunami for Japan and New Zealand. If this theory is right then Japan would get a both a quake and a tsunami this summer. I'm really curios to see if there is anything to this theory. This one article Russian confirm planetary angular momentum theory ... seems kind a half baked.
World Earthquake Maps
Simulations
SCEC Southern California Earthquake Center
Video of Earthquake, and Tsunami Simulation
Disaster machines: Simulating earthquakes
M7.0 Earthquake Simulation for Hayward Fault, California
TGEA 1.8.0 looks much better than any of the other computer simulation software I've seen so far. I think we could use shaders to show the stress and pull of the moon on the earth's plates. When the moon hits the seams we could use an earth quake shader like the last video with the ripple.
Parting Thoughts
Wikipedia Tides
The tidal forces are also stronger when the sun and moon are inline. The thought is that the liquid hot magma beneath the tectonic plates must also follow a similar principle. The earth rotates beneath the moon faster than the moon orbits the earth. So in theory a few hours before / after the eclipse you could have some shifting in the tidal magma beneath the tectonic plate. The whole day of July 22 2009 will be interesting. The earth will rotate in the summer so that the northern hemisphere is facing the sun. The moon will cross over 3 distinct tectonic plates known for earth quakes on that day.
Updated July 07 2009: I've found a tremendous amount of correlative evidence to earthquakes and eclipses. Read more on my blog post link below:
Table of Contents
Page 1 - The Theory and Prediction
Page 2 - Supporting evidence
Page 3 - The Geologist behind the Eclipse Quake Theory
Its perfectly possible there will be some pretty heavy earthquakes in those regions on July 22 2009.
Final Blog and Predictions for the Eclipse Earthquake theory here
#2
04/14/2009 (11:59 pm)
Do you realize that people have copied bits and pieces of your "theory" and are distributing it all over the world as a "tsunami warning" of an impending disaster???!!! Your crap theory, which is totally not valid based on any field of science, is causing panic e-mails to be sent throughout Asia telling people to stay away from beaches and low lying areas during the month of July!! You need to Google this subject and reply to each and every one of the "warnings" and let them know you don't know what hell you are talking about and that there is NO scientific basis for what you theorized!
#3
05/04/2009 (7:37 pm)
@heather, Its not my theory. I'm suggesting we build a simulator in a game engine for a proper test of the theory. Also I have no idea if its real or not. So, its hard for me to say its fake. I think there is probably something to this.
#4
07/12/2009 (5:09 am)
There will be an eathquake on or around July 22 except it won't be in China it will be in California. It will be located on the San Andres fault close to Fort Tejon and be above a 7.6 magnitude. I have seen the past and it will repeat.
#5
07/20/2009 (10:13 pm)
I'm just appalled that you RE-POSTED an image that shows VENUS between Earth and Jupiter! You expect these sort of things from top-notch "news agencies" like India Daily, but you are an IT professional and blogger, for heaven's sake -- have some dignity!!!
#6
Britton, i think what your' doing is freakin' awesome.
Ive allways contemplated using GameEngines as the basis for enviromental models. Since it should be pretty straight forward to "convert" the game into something simulator related.
I wish you all types of good luck on your search for science... ;)
08/27/2009 (8:00 pm)
Gsus - dont attack and antaganize the man for his ideas.Britton, i think what your' doing is freakin' awesome.
Ive allways contemplated using GameEngines as the basis for enviromental models. Since it should be pretty straight forward to "convert" the game into something simulator related.
I wish you all types of good luck on your search for science... ;)
#7
09/11/2009 (10:48 pm)
There are some slight differences that I think you should know about as well as some evidence I have found that I believe substantiates your claim. There is more evidence for a grouping of eclipses to create earthquake events. I found this to be evident when I mapped out the entire list of earthquakes on Wikipedia over a one hundred year period. Consistent with the available data from the USGS and in a format that was quicker to provide graphic detail (Google maps) to create an overlay for GIS information. Using NASA maps of the eclipses that happened around the times of these quakes I noticed that there is a direct connection for the eclipse and every single major quake event. The thing I found that is amazing is that sometimes this was a spot on a recent eclipse and sometimes it was on the coming eclipse. This is why I believe that this has been missed for so many years. I believe the reason eclipses have always been a portent of doom is that earthquakes did happen closer to eclipses at a period in the earth's past when the moon was closer to the earth. There are some other things I would only mention in private should we ever discuss this further. The largest quakes I will tell you have a correlation of two to three set eclipses going through a single point and then a single trigger eclipse that sets it off, but this is all in keeping with your thesis on this subject. Keep in mind I have found evidence that this works for 100 years worth of data. Even more important I have been able to track using Google maps from one eclipse to another over this last year 2009. The very first earthquake that happened occured on my predicted path. The problem is that at this point all I can show is a path. I have a much larger group of data that shows a consistency or pattern backing up this claim. There are still too many points for me to figure out where some of the next deadly earthquakes will happen and I am in no way saying that every point I plot has a direct correlation, but I believe the model that you are describing which I do not have the talent to create would be much easier to develop. I think that this is invaluable work and would require a model much easier than you suggest based on the data, but there are still too many variables for me to do this for many locations at a time. Your example for the July 22nd 2009 elcipse is just one....Many expected something big to happen right after the eclipse....Since this has come and gone I have plotted something very interesting to say the least. Most of the recent quakes fall directly along the paths that I have plotted. I am amazed at just how many of them. The large quakes that have been happening around Indonesia, Fiji, NZ and others, I believe are setting up a very large event to happen quite soon. With all of the evidence that I have put together including my predictions based on this information I still can't tell if this event will happen between now 9/11/09 to 1/15/2010 or if it will be an even bigger event to happen around 5/20/2012. I hope for our sake it happens in 2010. From the evididence I have gathered to develop this method and as I have mentioned here before, the events that have multiple setting eclipses followed by the trigger result in the largest and most deadly earthquakes. I find it uniquely interesting that a movie is just coming out showing a great flood in 2012....I believe this quake will happen near the Island nation of Yap and will cause a very large Tsunami. If all of this evidence is correct there will also be an earthquake near Vancouver that will happen between now 9/11/09 until just after the 1/10/2010 eclipse that will also cause that area to be flooded The evidence I have found shows where earthquakes will happen between a given time point but the sampling of data I restrict myself to does not show an exact date whom only God can tell that information, but perhaps he has decided to reveal some of it. With all the data I have had to work with by hand...I have had to track this information in a very tedious manner. I hope to find someone that could take this information and together develop software to do a better job than I have. MY open email before personal contact is mjhassociates@yahoo.com
Torque Owner Britton LaRoche