Thanks to our satellite, the night from Sunday to Monday was much brighter than usual. This spectacle, which hadn't occurred for 70 years , has attracted the attention of millions of people, who didn't hesitate to use their mobile phones or digital cameras to capture the special moment.
But is there any connection between the Supermoon and tsunamis?
Why do the tides occur?
Image – Historiasybiografias.com
Tides are periodic oscillations in sea level caused by the moon's gravitational pull on the water. As the moon orbits the Earth, bodies of water are pulled towards it by its gravitational force , while at the same time, bodies of water on the opposite side of the Earth rise due to the centrifugal force of the planet's rotation.
In this phenomenon, the sun also plays an important role. When the lunar and solar gravitational pulls are in the same direction, they create spring tides ; conversely, when the sun and moon exert their gravitational pull perpendicularly, forming a right angle, neap tides occur. If you want to learn more about the Supermoon phenomenon, you can consult the section on perigee . Furthermore, if you are interested in the impact of the Supermoon on natural phenomena, feel free to investigate further.
Can the moon cause tsunamis?
Image - EFE
Knowing this, one might think that the moon could cause tsunamis. But… is that true? Our satellite takes about 28 to 30 days to orbit the Earth. During those days, it goes through different phases (new, waxing, waning, and full). As we've seen, its gravitational pull is very important for the production of tides, which are strongest when the moon is full because it is closer to the planet.
But there is no connection whatsoever between the moon and tsunamis , as tsunamis are phenomena caused by earthquakes or asteroid impacts. For more information on the moon's effects on Earth, you can read about [link to relevant article].
Photos from Superluna 2016
To finish, we leave you with a series of photos of the Supermoon 2016. Enjoy them.
-
- Image - Jesse Chance
-
- Image - Fotosbermaxo.blogspot.com.es
-
- Image - Twitter @SecretosdeMadrid
