Relation between Moon Phase and Occurrence of Micro-earthquakes in the Tamba Plateau

Abstract

In the Tamba Plateau, an earthquake swarm area in the Kinki district, Central Japan, seismicity was activated just after the Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) Earthquake (M7.3), which occurred in an adjacent area in 1995. We found that micro-earthquake activities in the Tamba Plateau corresponded to moon phase. Occurrences of micro-earthquakes increased after a new moon and a full moon during 1995 and 1996. Before 1995, such a correlation could not be found. The present study suggests a possibility that the stress change caused by the Hyogoken Nanbu Earthquake made seismicity in the Tamba Plateau sensitive to tidal forces.