If you think of the total sum gravitational effect as it swings from one extreme to the other, the graph would probably be something like a sine wave.

say the roughly 29.5 day cycle between syzyges is taken as 0-360 degrees..

3 days 15 hours (ignoring the 8 minutes for ease) is 3.625 days

Starting the sine cycle at equilibrium (ie quarters), the first maximum (full moon)occurs at 1/4 of 29.5 days, this is 7.375 days. The earthquake here was at 3.635 before maximum gravitational effect, ie full moon, so that is 7.375-3.635 days after the start...equals 3.74 days from start.

Converting into degrees - 3.74/29.5x360 gives 45.64 degrees. Taking the sine (degrees) of this is 0.7149.... or 71.49% of full effect, ie a lot nearer than away from maximum point!

Assuming, now, that the smallest effect is taken at the new moon, and the largest effect at full moon, then this earthquake occurred at 85.748% of full effect.

Dave L







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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2005 05:38PM by Dave L.