Is there such a thing as Earthquake weather? Part 1 For as long as we can remember, we have both been fascinated by the earth sciences - from wind storms, rain and snow to earthquakes, rock formations and everything else in between. As a matter of fact, we both graduated from college as meteorologists and have been following weather events ever since. Because sunny Southern California doesn't exactly challenge us with wild weather on a year-round basis, we had to turn our attention to another natural phenomenon that occurs daily; earthquakes - and it's possible correlation with weather events. So here is the question: Is there any truth to the age old theory regarding "earthquake weather," or is it just an old wives tale? For many years now, we have heard from certain friends, neighbors, family and colleagues that during certain weather patterns, the probability of earthquakes increases, or at least that's what they feel. For instance, most people refer to warm and muggy conditions as "earthquake weather", especially if they live in earthquake country. But the truth of the matter is, to date, no direct correlation has been made between the weather and seismic activity. Because earthquakes occur anywhere from 1 to 80 miles beneath the surface of the earth, and because the weather only effects the surface to only about several feet of the soil, it is merely impossible for one to effect the other. There is however, certain weather conditions over several years or decades that may be a contributing factor to the occurrence of earthquakes. Such long-term conditions have not been proven to be a culprit, but scientists are taking a closer look at them. One weather condition is the presence of high pressure zones. As you may know, areas of high pressure contain more air weight per unit than areas of low pressure. This "weight" is not too significant, but, add this constant extra weight to a susceptible and ripe seismic region, and over time, it could end up to be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Another culprit that may be a contributor to accelerated seismic events is long periods of seasonal heavy rain. Again, as previously mentioned, the added weight over time can be the final straw in seismic pressure being released. Both the above theories are merely suggestions posed by scientists who are in search of answers to what causes earthquakes. There is still a lot of study and research that needs to be done before a solid conclusion linking weather to earthquakes can be made. Next month we will look at other factors, as well as some new predictions made as to where the next big earthquake may occur.