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ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

I am going to completely ignore all of the stupid melodrama and political bullshit on this thread and simple reply to the OP. Based upon what I do know about earth quakes and weather patterns over the centuries I can say this. I do not understand how anyone can bring up the earth quake in Haiti and say "see the weather/climate really is changing!!!!!

As most reasonably intelligent people know, earth quakes are simply caused by the shifts of the earth plates. They is nothing in our climate that affects plate shift.

The only real connection you can place between tectonic plates and climate is the effects a massive volcanic erruption can, and has in earth's history, have on the climate.

The weather/climate is a constantly evolving thing, just as the earth's surface is also constantly evolving. We cannot press some magic button or stop using gas and stop the shifting of tectonic plates on the earth's surface. So, while what happened in Haiti is tragic indeed, the earth quake itself was not avoidable.

It is even questionable what affects we can have on climate change.

I am sure most of this has been brought up somewhere in the freak show I started to read, in posts prior to mine, then saw the usual political culprits and declined.

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ORIGINAL: luckydawg

La tigeress, actually the movement of the continents (which is part of Plate techtonics) changes ocean currents, which has a massive effect on Global Climate. That is pretty much solid accepted science.

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But the existing climate is heavily shaped by the current position of the moving plates.

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What is my position on global warming?

Loki- do you know?

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
And another thing my dear lady.

From now on you will address me as "Sir".

I am making a note on this, and placing it in your permanent file.

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ORIGINAL: Loki45

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What is my position on global warming?

Loki- do you know?

Nope, and I don't give a rat's ass. I don't keep up with the positions of the tinfoil hat crowd.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
And another thing my dear lady.

From now on you will address me as "Sir".

I am making a note on this, and placing it in your permanent file.

Another example of your lunacy so early? No wonder you're single....you can't tell a man from a woman.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
I am sorry that you experience your rats azz.

It sounds like you are a man trapped in a woman's body.

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ORIGINAL: Loki45

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
I am sorry that you experience your rats azz.

It sounds like you are a man trapped in a woman's body.

Your tinfoil hat is hindering your brain function.

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ORIGINAL: luckydawg

Its absolutly true. No one who accepts plate techtonics disputes it. I think the effects change over hundreds of thousands to millions of years, not generations.

But the existing climate is heavily shaped by the current position of the moving plates.

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

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But the existing climate is heavily shaped by the current position of the moving plates.

Is there anything else that heavily shapes the existing climate?

HST

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ORIGINAL: vincentML
Although, Panda did bring up research on the possible effects of ice melt and ice accumulation. I find that pretty far reaching (although I cannot dispute it) when compared to what is known about the movement of tectonic plates.

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ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

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ORIGINAL: vincentML
Although, Panda did bring up research on the possible effects of ice melt and ice accumulation. I find that pretty far reaching (although I cannot dispute it) when compared to what is known about the movement of tectonic plates.

You should check it out, Vincent. I know you have a strong interest in the sciences, and I think you'd find it quite intriguing. Since this thread started, I've been doing a lot more reading, and there's even more supporting data than I realized. They've found strong evidence of seasonal cycles in the eruptive patterns of Alaskan volcanoes, and a 20% increase in volcanic eruptions worldwide during the winter months.

I really don't see why anyone would think it's far-fetched. Tectonic plates are in constant tension, with almost incomprehensible forces locked in a precarious balance, just waiting to rip loose. They've got to let go sometime, and having billions of tons of ice and snow (or additional sea depth) added to or removed from their overburden in a short period of time seems as good a provocation as any. Portions of the North American continent have rebounded hundreds of meters since the glaciers melted, and any time you have a land mass that size moving upwards or downwards that much, it's going to transfer a tremendous amount of stress onto those plate junctures. To me, it's a no-brainer.

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ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

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ORIGINAL: vincentML
Although, Panda did bring up research on the possible effects of ice melt and ice accumulation. I find that pretty far reaching (although I cannot dispute it) when compared to what is known about the movement of tectonic plates.

You should check it out, Vincent. I know you have a strong interest in the sciences, and I think you'd find it quite intriguing. Since this thread started, I've been doing a lot more reading, and there's even more supporting data than I realized. They've found strong evidence of seasonal cycles in the eruptive patterns of Alaskan volcanoes, and a 20% increase in volcanic eruptions worldwide during the winter months.

I really don't see why anyone would think it's far-fetched. Tectonic plates are in constant tension, with almost incomprehensible forces locked in a precarious balance, just waiting to rip loose. They've got to let go sometime, and having billions of tons of ice and snow (or additional sea depth) added to or removed from their overburden in a short period of time seems as good a provocation as any. Portions of the North American continent have rebounded hundreds of meters since the glaciers melted, and any time you have a land mass that size moving upwards or downwards that much, it's going to transfer a tremendous amount of stress onto those plate junctures. To me, it's a no-brainer.

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ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

Actually, a connection between climate and vulcanism/tectonic activity has been credibly discussed for many years. I recall reading about it as far back as the mid-80s, and there was some pretty good data backing it up. The idea was that the weight of ice packs and snow cover on continental plates exerts pressure on magma pockets below the crust, causing a slight but measurable increase in eruptive activity during winter months in the northern hemisphere, and especially during ice ages. Or increased sea levels might exert greater pressure on tectonic plates beneath the oceans, causing them to shift and deform.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

Actually, a connection between climate and vulcanism/tectonic activity has been credibly discussed for many years. I recall reading about it as far back as the mid-80s, and there was some pretty good data backing it up. The idea was that the weight of ice packs and snow cover on continental plates exerts pressure on magma pockets below the crust, causing a slight but measurable increase in eruptive activity during winter months in the northern hemisphere, and especially during ice ages. Or increased sea levels might exert greater pressure on tectonic plates beneath the oceans, causing them to shift and deform.

Well, kudos to you, Panda, a tip of the hat and thank you for this new information. It will teach me not to scoff. I accept that the hypothesis is being considered. The problem is that the science is dependent upon simulation with computer models. I have a difficult time accepting that as science of cause and effect. Perhaps, my science education was too long ago. I cannot shake loose of "garbage in, garbage out" when it comes to computer simulation. Sort of like "there are lies, damn lies, and computer models which cannot be field tested."

Here is an article in National Geographic for anyone interested. But let me point out they are talking about massive ice melt that occured at the end of the last Ice Age, which is nothing like what we have experienced today as far as I know. Furthermore, I don't think the Haiti fault is near any recent and sudden ice melt nor as far as I know has there been any extreme rise in the ocean level recently.

If anything, I am speculating, Haiti is victim of the changes made by the growth of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the widening of the Atlantic. There are something like thirty plates I think. We would have to see a map of the plates and fault lines to even begin to guess at the cause of this tragedy. The U.S. National Geological Survey will probably give us a report in short order.

Melting Ice Sheets Can Cause Earthquakes, Study Finds