Scientists Find First Evidence Climate Affects Tectonic Plate Movement

Geologists have known for years that tectonic plates affect climate patterns. Now they say that the opposite is also true, finding that intensifying climate events can move tectonic plates. Using models based on known monsoonal and plate movement patterns, geologists say that the Indian Plate has accelerated by about 20% over the past 10 million years. “The significance of this finding lies in recognising for the first time that long-term climate changes have the potential to act as a force and influence the motion of tectonic plates."

Understanding why plates change direction and speed is key to unlocking huge seismic events such as last month's Japan earthquake, which shifted the Earth's axis by several inches, or February's New Zealand quake.

The Australian-led team of researchers from France and Germany found that the strengthening Indian monsoon had accelerated movement of the Indian plate over the past 10 million years by a factor of about 20%, publishing their findings in the Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal.

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If we make the logical leap, we see that the increased activity of tectonic plates, and all of the externalities of their movements like volcano's earthquakes, etc, are directly correlated with the activity of the climate. Humanity most certainly has an effect on the climate, so it looks like our planet could be much more fragile than originally believed.

Well according to this maybe they will be able to look at the weather today and predict an earthquake 10 million years from now. These findings have no relevance on predicting anything in our near future but it is interesting.

reply to post by v1rtu0s0


20% over the past 10 million years......


Wonder if this story will change soon to again TRY to justify the carbon credit scam.

reply to post by v1rtu0s0


Now they only have to prove that the reason is really the one they propose.

I think it's possible for climate changes to affect tectonic plate movements, because it affects the melting of the ice and reduces the weight over some areas while it puts more water (and weight) over other areas, but I doubt monsoons can affect plate tectonics in a measurable way.