<p>Dilation of the Earth's surface due to atmospheric temperature changes will be negligible due to the amount of temperature increase.</p>
<p>Stronger precipitation will not directly lead to an increase in seismic activity. The force of the raindrops will be too small, even over a prolonged periods of time. If stronger precipitation were to occur, the most likely result will be an increase in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion" rel="nofollow noreferrer">soil erosion</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslide" rel="nofollow noreferrer">landslides</a>.</p>
<p>The reduction in glacial mass and the increase in water depth will change ground surface stresses. Where there will be an increase in the depth of water there will an increase in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overburden_pressure" rel="nofollow noreferrer">overburden pressure</a> produced by the water. This may cause an increase in localized seismic activity in some areas.</p>
<p>The loss of glacial mass will lead to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-glacial_rebound" rel="nofollow noreferrer">post-glacial rebound</a> in affected areas, predominantly: Antarctica, Greenland, Canada, Alaska. As the affected areas adjust to the lack, or reduction, of overbearing (overburden) pressure previously supplied by the glacial ice there will be an increase in seismic activity in those regions.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-17T07:34:51.520Z
2020-12-17T07:34:51.520Z
Fred
<p>Water can perhaps change the timing of second order seismic activity, although it's not expected to change the amplitude. Activities like fracking and putting water into stress faults have a greater demonstrable effect.</p>
<p>The glass-rubber transition temperature of the rocks is above 1000'C, so the rock itself won't undergo a major change in behavior and rocks accumulate stresses at the same rate due to internal convection of the mantle, and so the seismic activity timing can be a bit different, but it's amplitude won't be noticeably higher, and no studies have radically proven an effect of water on seismic activity amplitudes.</p>
<p><a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2926/can-climate-affect-earthquakes-or-are-the-connections-shaky/#:%7E:text=Scientists%20know%20earthquakes%20can%20be,But%20there%27s%20a%20catch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2926/can-climate-affect-earthquakes-or-are-the-connections-shaky/#:~:text=Scientists%20know%20earthquakes%20can%20be,But%20there's%20a%20catch</a>.</p>
<p>About 47 TeraWAtts of energy arrives at the surface from the mantle, and 173,000 TeraWatts comes from the sun.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/EiXvx.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/EiXvx.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
above image from <a href="https://www.mpg.de/6348886/W005_Environment-climate_070-077.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.mpg.de/6348886/W005_Environment-climate_070-077.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LvMvs.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LvMvs.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
from wiki.</p>
<p>Your question has taught me that Aristotle stated earthquakes can be due to air being released from underground caves.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-17T08:20:58.940Z
2020-12-17T08:32:25.963Z
2020-12-17T08:32:25.963Z
bandybabboon
<p>Would climate change result in an increase in seismic activities?</p>
<p>I can see two potential forces acting:</p>
<ul>
<li>Temperature dilation of the Earth's surface.</li>
<li>A change in the distribution of water mass, fewer glaciers, stronger precipitation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Is any of this possible?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-16T23:52:28.353Z
No. Only some C temperature change does not change anything, imho.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-17T11:00:30.187Z
Related question: [Can climate change cause earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/4912/1109)
THelper
<climate-change><seismology>
Would climate change result in an increase in seismic activities?
RomainL.
# Would climate change result in an increase in seismic activities?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-16)

Would climate change result in an increase in seismic activities?

I can see two potential forces acting:

* Temperature dilation of the Earth's surface.
* A change in the distribution of water mass, fewer glaciers, stronger precipitation.

Is any of this possible?

**Tags:** climate-change, seismology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: No. Only some C temperature change does not change anything, imho.  
> **username_2**: Related question: [Can climate change cause earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/4912/1109)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-12-17. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Dilation of the Earth's surface due to atmospheric temperature changes will be negligible due to the amount of temperature increase.

Stronger precipitation will not directly lead to an increase in seismic activity. The force of the raindrops will be too small, even over a prolonged periods of time. If stronger precipitation were to occur, the most likely result will be an increase in [soil erosion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion) and [landslides](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslide).

The reduction in glacial mass and the increase in water depth will change ground surface stresses. Where there will be an increase in the depth of water there will an increase in the [overburden pressure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overburden_pressure) produced by the water. This may cause an increase in localized seismic activity in some areas.

The loss of glacial mass will lead to [post-glacial rebound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-glacial_rebound) in affected areas, predominantly: Antarctica, Greenland, Canada, Alaska. As the affected areas adjust to the lack, or reduction, of overbearing (overburden) pressure previously supplied by the glacial ice there will be an increase in seismic activity in those regions.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-12-17. Score: 2

Water can perhaps change the timing of second order seismic activity, although it's not expected to change the amplitude. Activities like fracking and putting water into stress faults have a greater demonstrable effect.

The glass-rubber transition temperature of the rocks is above 1000'C, so the rock itself won't undergo a major change in behavior and rocks accumulate stresses at the same rate due to internal convection of the mantle, and so the seismic activity timing can be a bit different, but it's amplitude won't be noticeably higher, and no studies have radically proven an effect of water on seismic activity amplitudes.

[https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2926/can-climate-affect-earthquakes-or-are-the-connections-shaky/#:~:text=Scientists%20know%20earthquakes%20can%20be,But%20there's%20a%20catch](https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2926/can-climate-affect-earthquakes-or-are-the-connections-shaky/#:%7E:text=Scientists%20know%20earthquakes%20can%20be,But%20there%27s%20a%20catch).

About 47 TeraWAtts of energy arrives at the surface from the mantle, and 173,000 TeraWatts comes from the sun.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/EiXvx.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/EiXvx.jpg)
above image from <https://www.mpg.de/6348886/W005_Environment-climate_070-077.pdf>

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/LvMvs.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/LvMvs.jpg)
from wiki.

Your question has taught me that Aristotle stated earthquakes can be due to air being released from underground caves.


---

