Science vs Pseudo Science debate about The Planets

Updated at end of post

In NZ the debate has raged for weeks now over alternative theories which don't comply with the mainstream views of particular scientific disciplines. The argument is if you don't have a particular science degree and you don't agree with the majority, you are a charlatan, practising "pseudo-science" - an easy catch phrase to pepper your non-argument with. Ken Ring, alternative weather forecaster got this treatment, though the controversy has made him a household name in NZ and people are talking a lot about this. Well laid plan, Ken.

Kiwis I shudder to admit are scarily conservative when it comes to thinking outside the square on matters alternative. The practical capacity to use fencing wire to fix anything has not extended to intellectual enlightenment. Sure we have naturopaths, homeopaths, astrologers, osteopaths but there is no long and secure tradition of alternative thought in NZ, possibly because the land was hewn by a rough assortment of former sealers, whalers,  boatloads of boozers, womenizers and the poorly educated.

So this gargantuan struggle is underway between one world view and another right now. The beast will not be subdued. Apoplectic, frothy ravings are filling the internet, written by people lacking one alternative hair on their head. The devil in me lends to the occasion response to the sheer stupidity but for the most part, there clearly is no point engaging with the seriously mentally challenged.

In the realm of the subject at hand, seismology, there is NO global consensus amongst specialists in that field, on the causes and methods of prediction of seismic events. Just like there is no consensus on global warming/climate change.

So trotting out the odd geologist to dispel alternative theories as NZ TV media have done recently serves no purpose other than to convince further the convinced.

This online extract located today has some interesting ingredients: my emphasis in red

According to John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington in Seattle and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, particularly dramatic land and ocean tides do trigger earthquakes. "Both the moon and sun do stress the Earth a tiny bit, and when we look hard we can see a very small increase in tectonic activity when they're aligned," Vidale told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to SPACE.com.

At times of full and new moons, "you see a less-than-1-percent increase in earthquake activity, and a slightly higher response in volcanoes."

The effect of tides on seismic activity is greatest in subduction zones such as the Pacific Northwest, where one tectonic plate is sliding under another. William Wilcock, another seismologist at the University of Washington, explained: "When you have a low tide, there's less water, so the pressure on the seafloor is smaller. That pressure is clamping the fault together, so when it's not there, it makes it easier for the fault to slip."

According to Wilcock, earthquake activity in subduction zones at low tides is 10 percent higher than at other times of the day, but he hasn't observed any correlations between earthquake activity and especially low tides at new and full moons. Vidale has observed only a very small correlation.

What about during a lunar perigee? Can we expect more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on March 19, when the full moon will be so close?

The moon's gravitational pull at lunarperigee, the scientists say, is not different enough from its pull at other times to significantly change the height of the tides and thus the likelihood of natural disasters. [Infographic:  Phases of the Moon Explained]

"A lot of studies have been done on this kind of thing by USGS scientists and others," John Bellini, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told Life's Little Mysteries. "They haven't found anything significant at all."

Vidale concurred. "Practically speaking, you'll never see any effect of lunar perigee," he said. "It's somewhere between 'It has no effect' and 'It's so small you don't see any effect.'"

SOURCE

So clearly there are some minor concessions being made by these two seismologists. My guess is that they wouldn't go further even if the evidence was staring them in the face.
Scientists at the Space & Science Research Corp  certainly hold alternative views:
this extract from their recent Press Release:

They view the Sendai quake as another signal of the interrelation of the Sun and Moon which respectively exert tidal and geomagnetic forces on the Earth. These forces can bring the strongest quakes to the surface though originating from deep within the Earth. Plate tectonics theory they say, which focuses in part on the movement of upper mantle layers and subduction zones, is not the only causal factor in the largest earthquakes and associated volcanic activity.

With the world likely to face more large scale environmental crises in this era, a position accepted even by the more conservative sector, people will definitely be challenged to frame/reframe their understanding of what is going on. Fortunately there are enough diverse views available on the internet to assist anyone searching for more satisfying answers.

Update March 18
The Voice of Russia online news gives the seismic outlook as seen by Russian scientists

Russian physicists give thumbs up to Ken Ring in their report to the Russian President, warning of mega quakes in coming week 


Jim Berkland retired American geologist studies earthquakes using sun-moon and related factors along with observations of mass strandings or wildlife deaths as early warning signs. A pilot whale pod stranded off Tasmania on March 17.