# gst: triggering earthquakes, even the slightest stress can set off a tremor

<< A new study reveals the inner workings of tidally triggered earthquakes, and finds that even the slightest stress can set off a tremor. >>

Solved: How tides can trigger earthquakes. Earth Institute At  Columbia University. Jun 7, 2019.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/eiac-sht060519.php

<< The strong tidal triggering of mid-ocean ridge earthquakes has remained unexplained because the earthquakes occur preferentially during low tide, when normal faulting earthquakes should be inhibited. >>

AA << show that the axial magma chamber inflates/deflates in response to tidal stresses, producing Coulomb stresses on the faults that are opposite in sign to those produced by the tides. When the magma chamber’s bulk modulus is sufficiently low, the phase of tidal triggering is inverted. >>

Christopher H. Scholz, Yen Joe Tan, Fabien Albino. The mechanism of tidal triggering of earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges. Nature Communications 10, Article number: 2526 June 7, 2019.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10605-2