Does Climate Change Cause an Increase in Earthquakes? – Emergency Management Degree Program Guide

August 6, 2019

Does climate change cause an increase in Earthquakes? Scientists have been warning us for decades about the disastrous extreme weather patterns predicted by Earth’s evolving climate. Most are aware that climate change causes floods, droughts, storms, and heatwaves, but what’s going on with the apparent rise in seismic activity? To answer this question, it’s important to understand how earthquakes work and how climate change impacts seismic activity.

How Earthquakes Work

Earth is made up of several tectonic plates. Earthquakes happen when two tectonic plates slide against one another or collide violently. In most cases, the impacts are unnoticeable or very small when plates brush against one another. There are situations, though, when loads of stress have been building under the plate’s surface. During a collision, this stress can be released in the form of seismic waves. Most tremors occur along known fault lines, but severe waves can extend far beyond fault lines. Researchers measure these waves on a scale from 0 to 10. Stronger quakes often result in aftershock tremors that continue for days after the initial event.

Climate Change, Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels

So, is climate change having any impact on our tectonic plates or the stress that’s building underneath? It’s obvious that global temperatures are on the rise. Increasing temperatures are causing a massive melt-off of our ice glaciers. As glaciers melt, sea levels immediately rise. This process releases pressure from the underlying Earth, which triggers tremors.

In Ancient Greece, ingenious philosophers developed theories that Earth’s tremors were a result of gasses attempting to escape from underground. Now, scientists have finally vindicated these late philosopher’s thoughts. Worldwatch Institute explains how seafloor landslides are causing the release of built-up methane gas. As global temperatures rise, underwater earthquakes are triggered.

Evidence that Climate Change Leads to Earthquakes

So, does climate change cause an increase in earthquakes? Theories surrounding the notion are now being backed up by scientific evidence gathered in Alaska. Here’s a brief overview of recent findings released by the U.S. Arctic Research Commission:

• Rising global temperatures cause deglaciation

• Deglaciation causes the underlying rocks to depressurize

• Depressurization causes instability in the tectonic plates

• Instability reactivates and forces tectonic plates to respond to pressure changes

• This reaction includes increased volcanic and seismic activity

In summary, researchers are now finding a pattern that proves increasing temperatures cause ground instability. This instability leads to greater hazards including more frequent and more severe earthquakes. If global temperatures continue to reach unparalleled levels, then we can only brace for the continuation of extreme weather patterns.

These researchers also explained how rising temperatures have resulted in obvious thawing permafrost in Alaska and Siberia. This thawing is the first of its kind since the permafrost was first frozen over 11,000 years ago. These effects are directly correlated with the globe’s consistently rising temperature.

Looking Towards the Future: What to Expect

Considering the outlined evidence, researchers expect Earth to experience even more seismic activity in the coming decades. While researchers continue to speculate, it remains unclear what the overall impacts of climate change will be in the coming years. Start off the conversation by asking: Does climate change cause an increase in Earthquakes?