Our understanding that the role sunspots play in earthquake activity remains both elusive and disputed. The hypothesis of this study is that the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes are influenced by changes in the slope of the solar sunspot cycle. Previous earthquake studies that have found sunspots and earthquakes to be uncorrelated, yet, in this study we will look for possible solar signals (periodicities) with respect to sunspots and the change in slope of the solar sunspot cycle using three global earthquake catalogs. Two catalogs are from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) including the Centennial Y2K Catalog, and the ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) and the Third catalog is the International Seismological Centre (ISC) catalog of earthquakes. Using statistical tools combined with signal analysis techniques such as the Fourier transform, this study investigates if solar signals are contained in earthquake data. It is also the intent of this study to determine if earthquakes are correlated to the solar cycle, or at least help to provide another avenue for further study if the hypothesis of this thesis holds true.

Creator

• Tyree, Elizabeth C.

Contributori

• Iannacchione, Germano S.

Degree

• MS

Unit

• Physics

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• etd-4071

Parola chiave

• solar cycle
• solar weather
• solar cycle slope
• sunspots
• earthquakes
• Fourier Transform

Advisor

• Iannacchione, Germano S.

Defense date

• 2020-08-10

Year

• 2020

Date created

• 2020-08-06

Resource type

• Thesis

Rights statement

• In Copyright