Just recently I watched a program in which everything was revealed "secrets" of our satellite. I especially remember two points: that this is a unique Earth shield, and... And I'll tell you about this below :)
Moon influence
People used to believe that our the satellite has mystical powers, which “guides” a person’s daily life. However, those times have long since sunk into oblivion, and now, thanks to science, man does not blame the Moon for his failures, and does not praise her. But still, the influence of this body on our planet is quite significant, and corresponds to both physical laws and laws of mechanics. Its main feature is that the speed of axial rotation is almost identical to that of our planet, therefore only one side of it is turned to our gaze.
The mass of our satellite is so great that gravitational forces cause ebb and flow, and also slightly changing the shape of our planet. In fact, these are the only influences of the satellite that science confirms.
"Defender" of humanity
Scientists have found that satellite plays a significant role in preserving life on the planet, protecting it from space “bombardment”. Really, Moontakes on the impact of thousands of asteroids and meteorites. Many craters have been discovered on its surface, which indicate a collision with cosmic bodies larger than 350 kilometers. What would happen if such a “pebble” fell on Earth? For comparison, I will give an example. The cosmic body that led to the death of the dinosaurs is estimated by scientists to be only 5-8 kilometers, and this equivalent to two nuclear bombs, dropped on Japan. Scientists have calculated that in the event of a collision between our planet and a cosmic body 10 times smaller than the above, about 2 billion people. Thus, the satellite can be called "gravity shield" planets.
What if...
Recently, a group of scientists conducted an interesting study, the purpose of which was to calculate what would happen if our satellite suddenly “decided” slightly reduce the distance with the planet. Calculations have shown that the following changes will be inevitable:
- there will be a drop in the Earth's rotation speed;
- unprecedented tsunamis will arise;
- huge hurricanes will arise;
- the gravitational balance will change;
- all artificial satellites fall;
- earthquakes will occur.
Of course, such a “rapprochement” does not promise anything good for humanity, therefore, I hope this never happens.
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It seems like I’m already an adult girl who needs to think about serious things - but still at night I often take a blanket, a mug of cocoa with marshmallows, sit down on the windowsill and dreamily look at the Moon. And no, no, let the thought creep into our heads that this is not just a bright luminous disk above our heads, but an important celestial body that has an impact on our planet.
How the Moon influences the Earth
The moon is a satellite of our planet. We are so used to seeing it at night that we hardly think about the fact that it partly makes the Earth exactly the way we are used to seeing it.
And of course, it invisibly affects many things.
Ebbs and flows
Yes, back in ancient times people noticed that ebbs and flows appear not by chance, but cyclically. Observations of the surrounding world made it possible to trace the connection between the tides and the lunar cycle.
And this is far from useless information. Without knowing when sea level changes, you can easily run a ship aground. Or spend the night on the coast - and wake up in the morning to the waves covering you.
This information was also useful for the ancient tribes that lived on the coast - they waited for the water to go away so that collect the remaining marine life after low tide. Such reserves could feed the tribe for a long time, so it was important not to miss the moment.
Length of day
Tidal waves caused by the moon generate power, counteracting the force of the Earth's rotation around its axis. It turns out that every year the planet makes a full revolution a little slower - which means the day lasts longer.
Of course, these changes are very small, but over hundreds and thousands of years they will accumulate significantly - and for our great-great-great-grandchildren the day will not last 24 hours, but 25 or even more.
Night sky
And, of course, is it possible to imagine the sky without moonlight! Although, to be honest, The moon itself does not glow at all - but is an improvised mirror, reflecting the light of the sun. But is it really important - the view still turns out excellent.
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I remember my father took me to a fortified island off the northwestern coast of France. I was about seven years old at the time; my family and I were on vacation in Normandy. The path to the abbey lay through a dam (I won’t tell you the size, at that age everything seemed huge to me), I still thought then, why is there a dam here, there is only sand all around, these French are strange. Later, the space around the island began to rapidly fill with water. The speed of the tide was so impressive that a few moments later the water surface completely surrounded the fortress, only a small bridge connecting the abbey with the mainland was visible.
I looked at my father, puzzled, and in response I heard something about the Moon. “ What is the connection between the moon and the elements”: I thought at that moment.
The influence of the Moon on the Earth
Since time immemorial, this natural satellite of the earth has attracted not only the views, but also the thoughts of people around the globe. Some called the Moon a goddess and endowed her with mystical powers, while others tried to find a mechanical connection between this astronomical body and the processes occurring on our home planet.
How does our closest neighbor in limitless space let us know about its existence:
- influences the shape of the Earth, and also changes the axis of rotation of our planet;
- slows down the Earth's rotation speed;
- causes ebbs and flows;
- takes part in illuminating the Earth.
And no, these are not the magical properties of the satellite. All these processes obey the elementary laws of Newtonian physics. The fact is that the Moon has sufficient mass to influence our planet in a similar way. Ebbs and flows are a direct consequence law of universal gravitation(The Moon has a stronger pull on the closest part of the Earth; see image). What’s even more interesting is that the surface of the planet is also deformed due to the Moon.
If we go even further, friction of water masses caused by the attraction of the Moon, slows down the rotation of our planet. If you don't have enough of one more hour in your day, you can wait 200 million years (at least that's what scientists assure us).
What happens if the moon suddenly disappears
Let's go from the opposite. I will say right away that the chances for humanity are disappointing.
The orbit of rotation of our home planet around the Sun will instantly change, and the same fate awaits the axis of rotation of the Earth around itself. The change in orbit will trigger seismic activity across the globe. Humanity faces natural disasters for every taste: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and tsunamis. Hollywood will begin filming a film without special effects.
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Since childhood, I have admired what others do not attach importance to. The view of the moon in the night sky, as it is a fantastic picture. A huge celestial body, constantly changing the degree of its illumination and hanging above our heads. I was interested in how the Moon affects the Earth in general, and its inhabitants in particular.
The influence of the Moon on the Earth in the past
According to the main version proposed by scientists, the Moon appeared due to a collision of the Earth with another planet. The fragments of this cataclysm have become our natural satellite. Thanks to this, the degree of inclination of the earth's axis has changed. Because of this, a change of seasons appeared, which means opportunities for better development of life and the course of evolution. And the Moon protected the Earth from a huge part of asteroids, working as a lightning rod during a thunderstorm.
The moon creates ebbs and flows
Everyone knows where these two phenomena came from. From the Moon. The moon attracts water, thereby creating a tidal wave. But besides this, from the mutual attraction of the Earth and the Moon, there is a so-called centrifugal force that lifts water from the opposite end of the planet. This is explained by the fact that the Moon and Earth rotate around a common center of gravity. Contrary to the outdated theory that the satellite revolves around a static Earth.
At the same time, tidal forces also act on the atmosphere with the lithosphere, generating winds and shifts of lithospheric plates.
The influence of the moon on human health
There is no exact evidence of the influence of the Moon on human health. But a group of Indian scientists still found some connections between the phases of the moon and the condition of people:
- Heart attacks are more common during the new moon;
- births often occur during the full moon;
- Fewer digestive disorders occur during the waxing moon.
However, many studies by scientists from other countries refute these conclusions. So it turns out that everyone always decides for themselves who to believe!
At the end I remembered one fact. The moon moves away from us by an average of 4 centimeters per year. Therefore, we should look at the sky more often, because for our distant descendants the Moon can turn into a small dot, a little larger than the most ordinary star!
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When I was little, I loved to look at the starry sky and fantasize. I imagined myself as a girl astronaut, going to explore unknown planets. For some reason, I always looked especially closely at the Moon. Peering into the darkness on its surface, I painted in my imagination bright pictures with endless lunar valleys, dotted with numerous craters from falling meteorites. Later I became interested in more serious issues, for example, what effect does the Moon have on the Earth?.
The influence of the Moon on people
The first time I thought about this influence was when I heard from my grandmother that it is better to cut your hair during the waxing Moon. When I asked how this was connected, my grandmother replied that the Moon has a direct impact on the Earth and the people inhabiting it.
Everyone has watched at least once in their life lunar eclipse. It is this phenomenon that has a significant impact on health and emotional state person. During this period, scientists noticed the following changes:
What effect does the Moon have on Earth?
The main factor that has a pronounced impact is mutual attraction of the Earth and the Moon. It is the mutual attraction of our planet and its satellite that causes the phenomena known from ancient times ebb and flow ocean waters. The mutual attraction of the planets also contributes to the gradual decrease in the speed of rotation of the Earth, which leads to an increase in the length of the day. The Moon is the only satellite of the Earth, unlike other, larger planets of the solar system, therefore without its existence much would be impossible, even life.
How does the Moon affect the Earth?
This issue must be considered comprehensively, since the Moon does have a wide range of impacts on our planet. The first and most obvious - gravitational interaction, which most people learn about indirectly back in school as part of the study of the ebb and flow of tides. Since most of the Earth covered with water masses, exactly The world's oceans feel this force most. The closer two celestial bodies are to each other at a particular moment, the stronger gravity affects planet Earth, which has been proven Newton and confirmed his theory. However, this phenomenon is also reflected on land, that is, bark but because of her density a person cannot feel any changes. One of the most interesting and fascinating phenomena we can observe with the naked eye, namely - solar eclipse.
The nature of a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse Maybe be classified depending on the degree to which the Moon obscures the luminary for an observer from Earth, for example:
- Complete.
- Partial.
- Ring-shaped.
- Hybrid.
The nature of such an event is that the satellite casts a shadow in new moon period(not everyone), whose diameter is about
Heavenly bodies influence not only humans, but also all living beings. Sometimes people underestimate the influence of the Moon on themselves, but scientists have already proven this fact several times.
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age
Have you already turned 18?
How the Moon influences the Earth: an interesting reality
Probably each of us has heard something like: more crimes happen on a full moon, many babies are born, and so on. On the one hand, these are simply mystical facts that cannot be confirmed scientifically, but on the other hand, does the Moon really affect humans? They say that knowledge of the lunar calendar can greatly simplify people's lives and protect them from many diseases and ailments. To believe in it or not is a personal matter for each person.
From a scientific point of view, everything looks something like this: when the gravitational field of the Earth and the Moon interact, magnetic storms arise, which affect the psyche and well-being of people. After all, a satellite revolves around the Earth and the closer it is to our planet, the more noticeable its influence.
Have you noticed that on some days of the month you wake up full of strength and energy, happy, satisfied with life, and on some days you have difficulty getting out of bed, in no mood, with a headache, and incredibly tired. Often there are no special reasons for such a state of health, but if you carefully observe this, you can easily notice that your mood and well-being changes cyclically.
The celestial body especially affects a woman, or rather the female body, because the fair sex is more susceptible to lunar cycles.
The waning moon is a favorable period to analyze your actions and reflect on your mistakes. It is at this time that people are advised to go on a diet, fight chronic diseases, and get rid of excess things. When the Moon is in its waning phase, the body itself tries to get rid of diseases, and if you actively help it with this, the result will be simply amazing. You can have your teeth treated, agree to undergo surgery, start following a diet, and do physical activity.
The moon also affects a person’s sleep, for example, on a full moon people sleep poorly, energy accumulates, stress and vulnerability appear. For some reason, women tolerate the full moon worse than men. Also, during the full phase of the moon, people tend to commit rash acts; due to excess energy and frequent stress, accidents and crimes occur. During this period, it is not recommended to resolve conflicts or begin serious education of children. As for diseases, during the full moon they worsen, a person becomes more prone to experience pain. The blood becomes a little thin and does not clot well; it is better to postpone surgery.
It is during the full moon that people become overly tired, turn into pessimists, and lose interest in life.
When the new moon comes, people are weakened and mentally exhausted. Men can be aggressive and nervous for no reason. When the Moon begins to grow, then the energy will increase and increase. Reduce nervous tension, take care of yourself, don’t get angry, because heart attacks and strokes most often occur on a new moon. On the other hand, this is the best period to give up bad habits.
The waxing Moon is perhaps the most favorable period for various endeavors. At this time, a person is full of strength, energy, able to withstand high loads, usually the state of health during this period is stable and excellent. Metabolism improves, special flexibility and vitality are observed. Astrologers recommend taking care of yourself at this time, undergoing a course of cosmetic procedures, taking vitamins, and so on.
Astrologers also explained how the lunar phase affects hair. For example, if you decide to cut your hair, then do it during the waxing moon, because it greatly affects hair growth. As a result, the hair will be beautiful, the hair will quickly grow, become stronger and gain a healthy shine. To make your hair grow slower and not have to run to the hairdresser often, update your hairstyle during the waning moon. Representatives claim that there is a logical explanation for this phenomenon. The moon affects liquid, and the human body consists of water. The waxing phase of the moon promotes rapid blood flow to the hair follicles. Therefore, hair grows faster.
There are special horoscopes that explain in detail how the Moon influences Cancer, the zodiac sign Pisces, Taurus, Aries, and so on. A lot depends on what zodiac sign the Moon is in.
The moon even affects the fish's bite
Do not be surprised that experienced fishermen firmly believe that the success of fishing depends on the heavenly body. This is not a fiction, not a myth, but a fact that has already been confirmed in practice countless times. The well-being of the fish directly depends on what phase the Moon is in, and accordingly the Moon also affects fishing. This fact should not be considered a popular belief, because scientists have constantly researched and proven this phenomenon. The life processes of fish are either activated or subside. Successful fishing, as well as an excellent bite, can be predicted precisely by the Moon. But we should not forget that weather conditions also have a huge impact on the inhabitants of the underwater world.
The full moon is the best time for fishing, the bite will be just great. The Moon is very close to the Earth, the magnetic fields touch and are connected to one another. When the Moon shines in its full phase, fish become very active, they are extremely excitable, and move quickly. The Moon influences the gravity of the Earth, the water, the ebb and flow of the tides, and the sea. It has been scientifically proven that sea level depends precisely on the location of the Moon and the Sun. The gravitational field of the sun and our planet attracts water from huge reservoirs, it rises, the tide turns out to be high, and then low tide. It’s just that in bodies of water such as lakes and rivers, this process is invisible, since there is too little water. But the water tension also depends on this celestial body, so it turns out that the fish bites more efficiently. Pisces need a light source, moonlight is perfect for them. This is another reason why the underwater world comes alive during the full moon. But during the new moon, the necessary light practically does not penetrate through the water column and in the world of fish a period of so-called drowsy rest begins. This is a completely logical explanation. So, since you have planned a hunt for large fish, something like pike, pike perch, make sure in advance that the time for fishing is favorable.
How does the Moon influence the Sun?
The Sun and Moon are two celestial bodies that are directly related to life on our planet. The luminaries greatly influence people, but themselves have very little in common. Take the size: the sun is 400 times larger than the moon. But both bodies are at such a distance that it seems to us that they are the same in size. This is why solar eclipses exist. Often the Sun and Moon interact with each other (namely, their gravitational fields), as a result of which the Earth’s satellite moves several centimeters away from our planet every year.
And thanks to these cosmic bodies, we can observe the change of day and night. Now, probably, no one doubts that the Sun and Moon have a huge influence on the world of living organisms, including plants, animals, and people. What can I say if these luminaries even influence the growth of mushrooms. It's no secret that mushrooms grow best after rain, in other words, after precipitation. But the weather is influenced not only by the Sun, but also by the Moon. After the new moon, in practice, more precipitation has been observed more than once; this is somehow connected with the fall of meteorites. It turns out that during the period of active growth of the Moon, mushrooms and other fruiting bodies grow best.
As you can see, the Moon really has a huge influence on our planet. It constantly goes through an endless cycle of certain phases, which astrologers have long studied and defined. So, if you are inclined to believe horoscopes, do not ignore the lunar calendar. Try to do everything correctly, on time, and then your health will always be consistently good.
In this chapter we will look at how the Moon acts with its gravitational field on the Earth itself, i.e. on her body and her orbital movement. The consequences of this impact for various terrestrial spheres - lithosphere, hydrosphere, core, atmosphere, magnetosphere, etc., as well as for the biosphere, will be discussed in the following chapters.
ATTENTION!
See graphs of the gravitational interaction of the Moon and Earth using the service
LUNAR FACTOR
Calculation ratios and constants
To calculate the gravitational influence of the Moon, we will use the formula of classical physics, which determines the force F of the mutual attraction of two bodies with masses M1 and M2, the centers of mass of which are located at a distance R from each other:
(1) F (n) = (G x M1 x M2) / R 2,
where G = 6.67384 x 10 -11 is the gravitational constant.
This formula gives the value of the force of attraction in SI units - newtons (n). For the purposes of our treatise, it will be more convenient and clearer to operate with kilograms of force (kgf), which are obtained by dividing F by a factor of 9.81, i.e.:
(2) F (kgf) = (G x M1 x M2) / (9.81 x R 2)
For further calculations we will need the following constants:
- Moon mass - 7.35 x 10 22 kg;
- the average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,400 km;
- the average radius of the Earth is 6371 km;
- mass of the Sun - 1.99 x 10 30 kg;
- the average distance from the Earth to the Sun is 149.6 million km;
The force of lunar gravity on Earth
In accordance with formula (2), the force of attraction by the Moon on a body weighing 1 kg located in the center of the Earth, with a distance between the Moon and the Earth equal to its average value, is equal to:
(3) F = (6.67 x 10 -11 x 7.35 x 10 22 x 1) / (9.81 x 384400000 2) = 0.000003382 kgf
those. just 3.382 micrograms. For comparison, let’s calculate the force of attraction of the same body by the Sun (also for an average distance):
(4) F = (6.67 x 10 -11 x 1.99 x 10 30 x 1) / (9.81 x 149600000000 2) = 0.000604570 kgf,
those. 604.570 micrograms, which is almost 200 (two hundred!) times greater than the gravitational force of the Moon.
In addition, the weight of a body located on the surface of the Earth varies within much more significant limits due to the deviation of the Earth’s shape from the ideal, uneven relief and density, as well as the influence of centrifugal forces. For example, the weight of a body weighing 1 kg at the poles is approximately 5.3 grams greater than the weight at the equator, one-third of this difference is due to the oblateness of the Earth at the poles, and two-thirds is due to the centrifugal force at the equator, directed against gravity.
As you can see, the direct gravitational effect of the Moon on a specific body located on Earth is literally microscopic and at the same time significantly inferior to the gravitational effect of the Sun and geophysical anomalies.
Lunar Gravity Gradient
Let's turn to Fig. 3.1. For the average value of the Earth-Moon distance, the force of attraction by the Moon on a body weighing 1 kg located on the surface of the Earth at the point closest to the Moon is 3.495 micrograms, which is 0.113 micrograms more than the force of attraction of the same body, but located in the center of the Earth. The force of attraction of a body located on the surface of the Earth by the Sun (also for the average distance) will be 604.622 micrograms, which is 0.052 micrograms greater than the force of attraction of the same body, but located in the center of the Earth.
Fig.3.1 Lunar and solar gravity
Thus, despite the immeasurably smaller mass of the Moon compared to the Sun, the gradient of its gravitational force in the Earth’s orbit is on average more than two times greater than the gradient of the gravitational force of the Sun.
To illustrate the effect of the Moon's gravitational field on the Earth's body, let us turn to Fig. 3.2.
Fig. 3.2 The influence of the gravitational field of the Moon on the body of the Earth.
This figure presents a very, very simplified picture of the reaction of the Earth’s body to the influence of lunar gravity, but it reliably reflects the essence of the process - a change in the shape of the globe under the influence of the so-called. tidal (or tide-forming) forces directed along the Earth-Moon axis, and the elastic forces of the Earth's body counteracting them. Tidal forces occur because points on the Earth closer to the Moon are attracted to it more strongly than points further away from it. In other words, the deformation of the Earth’s body is a consequence of the gradient of the gravitational force of the Moon and the elastic forces of the Earth’s body counteracting it. As a result of the action of these forces, the size of the Earth increases in the direction of action of tidal forces and decreases in the transverse direction, as a result of which a wave called a tidal wave is formed on the surface. This wave has two maxima, located on the Earth-Moon axis and moving along the Earth's surface in the direction opposite to the direction of its rotation. The amplitude of the wave depends on the latitude of the area and the current parameters of the Moon’s orbit and can reach several tens of centimeters. It will have its maximum value at the equator when the Moon passes its perigee.
The Sun also causes a tidal wave in the Earth's body, but it is significantly smaller due to the smaller gradient of its gravitational force. The joint gravitational influence of the Moon and the Sun on the Earth's body depends on their relative position. The maximum value of tidal forces and, accordingly, the maximum amplitude of the tidal wave is achieved when all three objects are located on the same axis, i.e. in a state of so-called syzygy(alignment), which occurs during a new moon (Moon and Sun in “conjunction”) or during a full moon (Moon and Sun in “opposition”). The configuration data is illustrated in Fig. 3.3 and 3.4.
Fig. 3.3 The combined influence of the gravitational fields of the Moon and the Sun on the body of the Earth
in “conjunction” (on the new moon).
Fig. 3.4 The combined influence of the gravitational fields of the Moon and the Sun on the body of the Earth
in “opposition” (during the full moon).
As the Moon and Sun deviate from the syzygy line, the tidal forces they cause and, accordingly, tidal waves begin to acquire an independent character, their sum decreases, and the degree of their opposition to each other increases. The opposition reaches its maximum when the angle between the directions to the Moon and the Sun from the center of the Earth is 90°, i.e. These bodies are in a “square”, and the Moon, accordingly, is in a quarter phase (first or last). In this configuration, the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun act strictly oppositely on the shape of the Earth’s body, the corresponding tidal waves on the surface are maximally separated, and their amplitude is minimal, as illustrated in Fig. 3.5.
Fig. 3.5 The combined influence of the gravitational fields of the Moon and the Sun on the Earth’s body in a “square”.
The physics of the Earth's tidal processes under the influence of the gravitational fields of the Moon and the Sun is very complex and requires taking into account a large number of parameters. A large number of different theories have been developed on this topic, many experimental studies have been conducted, and a huge number of articles, monographs and dissertations have been written. Even today, there are many “blank” spots, conflicting points of view and alternative approaches in this area. For those wishing to delve deeper into the problems of earth's tides, we can recommend the fundamental study of P. Melchior “Earth's tides” (translated from English, M., “Mir”, 1968, 483 pages).
The effect of lunar gravity on Earth results in two fundamental phenomena:
- Lunar tides on the Earth's surface are periodic changes in the level of the Earth's surface, synchronized with the daily rotation of the Earth and the movement of the Moon in orbit.
- The imposition of a variable component on the Earth's orbit, synchronized with the rotation of the Earth - Moon system around a common center of mass.
These phenomena are the main mechanisms of the Moon’s influence on the earth’s spheres - the lithosphere, hydrosphere, earth’s core, atmosphere, magnetosphere, etc. More about this in the next chapter.
17. The influence of the Sun and Moon on earthly processes
Factors Determining the solar influence of the Sun and Moon on the Earth can be divided into two types. The first is constantly operating factors, which include the shape of the Earth, the size of the Earth, gravitational and magnetic forces that determine the retention in orbit and the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the second is solar radiation, which is the main source of energy on Earth, the relative position of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
Shape and size of the Earth are of great importance for the development of all geographical phenomena and processes on Earth. For example, the spherical shape of the Earth causes uneven heating by the Sun. The greatest heating of the earth's surface occurs in the area between the tropics, where the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on the planet's surface is highest throughout the year. There is a gradual decrease in heat towards the poles. This determines the general geographic zonation of the Earth and the formation of various natural zones.
In addition to the shape of the Earth, its mass, volume, and density are of great geographical importance. These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as gravity, magnetic and thermal fields. The Earth's gravitational, magnetic and electric fields are determined by its shape, size and material composition and, in turn, determine the properties and processes of the geographical shell.
The mass of the Earth is 5.976 10 27 g, the volume is 1.083 10 12 m 3, the average density is 5.518 kg/m 3. The composition of the Earth is dominated by iron: (34.6%), oxygen (29.5%), silicon (15.2%) and magnesium (12.7%).
The density of the Earth varies depending on the composition and properties of rocks and depth from the surface. The average density of the Earth is 5.52 g/cm 3 . In the center of the Earth, the density reaches 12-17 g/cm 3 (12-17 thousand t/m 3). The density of the upper layers of the Earth depends on the composition of the rocks composing them.
These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as gravity, magnetic and thermal fields.
Gravity is the mutual attraction of two physical bodies that have mass. Gravitational forces hold the planets around the Sun, determine the spherical shape of the Earth and hold its atmosphere.
The Earth's magnetic field is similar to the magnetic field of a conventional rod, the ends of which have opposite magnetic poles, i.e. magnetic dipole. The points of intersection of the magnetic dipole with the earth's surface are called geomagnetic poles (north and south). Magnetic poles do not coincide with geographic ones; their positions are constantly changing over time. The zone of near-Earth space, the physical properties of which are determined by the Earth's magnetic field, is called the magnetosphere. It has internal (at an altitude of 3-4 thousand km) and external (22 thousand km) radiation belts.
As you know, the Earth rotates around its axis in the direction from west to east and at the same time around the Sun. The Earth makes a complete revolution around its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. This period of time is called a sidereal day. However, due to the fact that the Earth simultaneously rotates around the Sun, the actual length of the day is somewhat longer. For convenience in practical application, it was decided to consider the average duration of a sunny day as 24 hours. The rotation of the Earth around its axis is associated with the change of day and night and many earthly processes.
The linear speed of the Earth's rotation is the distance that any point on the Earth's surface travels per unit time. Depending on the geographic latitude, it varies from 0 (at the poles) to 464 m/s (at the equator). In addition to linear speed, the axial rotation of the Earth also determines the angular speed, which shows the angle of rotation of any point on the earth’s surface per unit time. It is the same for all latitudes of the Earth and is equal to 1° in 4 minutes (15° in one hour). Angular velocity determines the magnitude of the Coriolis force, which affects the movement of water and air masses, the erosion of river banks, the direction of sea currents, etc.
The shape of the Earth and its rotation around its axis are also associated with such concepts as zone and local time, as well as date changes and the calendar. (Remember what time zones are, local time and standard time?).
Depending on the position of the Earth relative to the Sun, zones of illumination are distinguished on the globe (Remember, how many and what zones of illumination are distinguished on Earth?)
The Earth has one natural satellite - the Moon. The Moon has a braking effect on the speed of rotation of the Earth, which affects the magnitude of the Coriolis force and, first of all, on moving media (water, air masses). Under the influence of the Moon and partly the Sun, the intensity of the Earth's processes changes, including tectonic processes (mountain building, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), and the magnitude of its polar compression decreases. It has been proven that the Moon influences biological rhythms on Earth, and through them the health of humans and animals.
The intensity of the Moon's influence on Earth's processes depends on the relative position of the Earth, Sun and Moon and the phase of the Moon. The different shapes of the sunlit portion of the Moon that we see from Earth are called lunar phases. There are four of them: new moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun; the first and last quarters, when the Moon is visible from the Earth at an angle of 90 degrees from the east and west of the Sun; full moon when the Moon is in the opposite direction to the Sun. (Remember from astronomy the duration of the lunar phases)
The influence of the Sun on earthly processes is determined by phenomena occurring in the depths of the Sun, i.e. from solar activity. A huge amount of energy that the Sun emits into outer space is formed in its depths as a result of the thermonuclear reaction of converting hydrogen into helium. Despite the fact that only one two-billionth part of this energy reaches the Earth, the Sun is the main source of energy for all processes occurring in the geographic envelope.
Signs of solar activity are sunspots, zones of increased brightness (faculae) and explosive bursts of energy (flashes) on the surface of the Sun (Remember from astronomy the reasons for their formation). An increase in solar activity is reflected in the geophysical processes of the Earth. There are 11-year, 33-year and 98-year cycles of increasing solar activity. During these periods, the influence of the Sun on the Earth increases.
Solar activity has a great influence on such terrestrial processes as polar lights, magnetic storms, earthquakes, plant growth and productivity, reproduction and migration of insects, epidemics of human diseases (influenza, typhoid, cholera, etc.).
The influence of solar activity on the Earth's climate is extremely large. The solar radiation fluxes that increase during solar storms affect the ozone content in the upper layers of the atmosphere. This, in turn, changes the intensity of heat and moisture exchange on Earth.
One of the factors of solar influence on the Earth is the “solar wind” - flows of protons and electrons that spread from the Sun in all directions. A very small part of the “solar wind” material reaches the Earth, but its influence on the magnetic properties of our planet is enormous.
As you know from astronomy, all the planets of the solar system are in a state of gravitational interaction. The interaction of the Sun, Moon and Earth is visible in the formation of tidal processes in the Earth's hydrosphere. The Moon plays a major role in the formation of tides. The influence of the Sun, despite its enormous mass, due to its great distance (149.5 million km), is 2.71 times less than the influence of the Moon. The highest tide height in the oceans is observed when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are on the same line and their tidal forces are summed up. This tide is called syzygous (from the Greek syzygia - connection, conjugation). The lowest tide is quadrature (from the Latin guadratura - square shape), when the Moon and Sun are at right angles to the Earth.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution
higher professional education
"Siberian State Aerospace University
named after academician M.F. Reshetnev"
Scientific and educational center
"Institute of Space Research and High Technologies"
Department of Technical Physics
Report on educational (introductory) practice
The influence of the Moon as a natural satellite on planet Earth
Direction: 011200.62 “Physics”
Completed:
3rd year student, group BF12-01
Persman Kristina Viktorovna
Supervisor:
Ph.D., Associate Professor
Parshin Anatoly Sergeevich
Krasnoyarsk 2014
INTRODUCTION
1Origin of the Moon
2Movement of the Moon
3Shape of the Moon
4Phases of the Moon
5Internal structure of the Moon
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1Ebbs and flows
2Earthquakes and the Moon
RESEARCH RESULTS
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
The Moon, by its influence, has a very great influence on planet Earth and has a very large role in its, and most importantly, our existence, no less than the Sun. To understand its role in our lives, let's go back 4.5 billion years, when the solar system was still young, and the Earth did not yet have a Moon. Our planet flew around the Sun alone, bombarded by comets and asteroids, as if in a giant cosmic billiards game. Nowadays, scars from such ancient blows can no longer be found. Some of the trillions of pieces of debris floating around in space coalesced into the protoplanet Theia. The orbit that brought it to a collision with the Earth. The blow to the young Earth was a glancing one. The cores of the planets merged together, and huge masses of molten rock were thrown into low-Earth orbit. Since this substance was liquid, it easily gathered into a spherical object, which became the Moon.
Although the mass of the Moon is 27 million times less than the mass of the Sun, it is 374 times closer to the Earth and has a strong influence on it, causing rising tides in some places and low tides in others. This happens every 12 hours 25 minutes, since the Moon makes a full revolution around the Earth in 24 hours 50 minutes.
The Moon is the Earth's companion in outer space. Every month the Moon makes a complete journey around the Earth. It glows only from light reflected from the Sun.
The Moon is the only satellite of the Earth and the only extraterrestrial world that people have visited. By studying it, people learned to use its properties for their needs without causing harm to the environment.
1 Origin of the Moon
The origin of the Moon has not yet been definitively established. The problem is that we have too many assumptions and too few facts. All this happened so long ago that none of the hypotheses can be verified.
Many theories have been proposed at different times. Three mutually exclusive hypotheses were considered the most likely. One is the capture hypothesis, according to which the Moon formed independently of the Earth and was later captured by its gravitational field. Another is the co-formation hypothesis, according to which the Earth and the Moon were formed from a single cloud of gas and dust. And the third is the centrifugal separation hypothesis, according to which the Moon was separated from the Earth under the influence of centrifugal forces.
However, analysis of lunar soil samples delivered by American astronauts cast doubt on all these hypotheses. Scientists had to put forward a new one - a collision hypothesis, according to which the Moon was formed as a result of the collision of the protoplanet Earth with another large cosmic body - the protoplanet Theia.
Giant impact hypothesis
Figure 1 - collision of the Earth with Theia
The collision hypothesis was proposed by William Hartman
The collision hypothesis is currently considered the main one, since it well explains all the known facts about the chemical composition and structure of the Moon, as well as the physical parameters of the Earth-Moon system. Initially, great doubts were raised about the possibility of such a successful collision (oblique impact, low relative speed) of such a large body with the Earth. But then it was suggested that Theia formed in Earth's orbit, at one of the Lagrange points
To explain the iron deficiency on the Moon, we have to accept the assumption that by the time of the collision (4.5 billion years ago) both on Earth and on Theia, gravitational differentiation had already occurred, that is, a heavy iron core was released and a light silicate mantle was formed. No clear geological evidence has been found for this assumption.
If the Moon had somehow ended up in Earth’s orbit at such a distant time and after that had not undergone significant shocks, then, according to calculations, a multi-meter layer of dust settling from space would supposedly have accumulated on its surface
2 Moon movement
The Moon moves around the Earth at an average speed of 1.02 km/sec in an approximately elliptical orbit in the same direction in which the vast majority of other bodies in the Solar System move, that is, counterclockwise when we sit down to look at the Moon's orbit from the North Pole. The semimajor axis of the Moon's orbit, equal to the average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon, is 384,400 km (approximately 60 Earth radii). Due to the ellipticity of the orbit and disturbances, the distance to the Moon varies between 356,400 and 406,800 km. The period of revolution of the Moon around the Earth, the so-called sidereal (stellar) month, is 27.32166 days, but is subject to slight fluctuations and a very small secular reduction. The movement of the Moon around the Earth is very complex, and its study is one of the most difficult problems of celestial mechanics.
Elliptical motion is only a rough approximation, and is subject to many disturbances caused by the attraction of the Sun, the planets, and the oblateness of the Earth. The most important of these disturbances, or inequalities, were discovered from observations long before their theoretical derivation from the law of universal gravitation. The attraction of the Moon by the Sun is 2.2 times stronger than by the Earth, so that, strictly speaking, one should consider the movement of the Moon around the Sun and the disturbance of this movement by the Earth. However, since the researcher is interested in the movement of the Moon as seen from the Earth, the gravitational theory, which was developed by many major scientists, starting with I. Newton, considers the movement of the Moon around the Earth. In the 20th century, they used the theory of the American mathematician J. Hill, on the basis of which the American astronomer E. Brown calculated (1919) mathematical series and compiled tables containing the latitude, longitude and parallax of the Moon. The argument is time.
The plane of the Moon's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at an angle of 5°843, subject to slight fluctuations. The points of intersection of the orbit with the ecliptic are called the ascending and descending nodes, have an uneven retrograde motion and make a full revolution along the ecliptic in 6794 days (about 18 years), as a result of which the Moon returns to the same node after a time interval - the so-called draconic month, - shorter than the sidereal one and on average equal to 27.21222 days, the frequency of solar and lunar eclipses is associated with this month. The Moon rotates around an axis inclined to the ecliptic plane at an angle of 88°28", with a period exactly equal to the sidereal month, as a result of which it always faces the Earth with the same side.
This coincidence of the periods of axial rotation and orbital revolution is not accidental, but is caused by the tidal friction that the Earth produced in the solid or once liquid shell of the Moon. However, the combination of uniform rotation with uneven orbital movement causes small periodic deviations from a constant direction to the Earth, reaching 7° 54" in longitude, and the inclination of the Moon's rotation axis to the plane of its orbit causes deviations of up to 6° 50" in latitude, resulting in different time from the Earth you can see up to 59% of the entire surface of the Moon (although areas near the edges of the lunar disk are visible only from a strong perspective); such deviations are called libration of the Moon. The planes of the Moon's equator, ecliptic and lunar orbit always intersect along one straight line (Cassini's law).
1.3 Shape of the Moon
The shape of the Moon is very close to a sphere with a radius of 1737 km, which is equal to 0.2724 of the equatorial radius of the Earth. The surface area of the Moon is 3.8 * 107 km2, and the volume is 2.2 * 1025 cm3. A more detailed determination of the Moon’s figure is complicated by the fact that on the Moon, due to the absence of oceans, there is no clearly defined level surface in relation to which heights and depths could be determined; in addition, since the Moon is turned to the Earth with one side, it seems possible to measure the radii of points on the surface of the visible hemisphere of the Moon from the Earth (except for points at the very edge of the lunar disk) only on the basis of a weak stereoscopic effect caused by libration.
The study of libration made it possible to estimate the difference between the major semi-axes of the Moon's ellipsoid. The polar axis is less than the equatorial axis, directed towards the Earth, by about 700 m and less than the equatorial axis, perpendicular to the direction to the Earth, by 400 m. Thus, the Moon, under the influence of tidal forces, is slightly elongated towards the Earth. The mass of the Moon is most accurately determined from observations of its artificial satellites. It is 81 times less than the mass of the earth, which corresponds to 7.35 * 1025g. The average density of the Moon is 3.34 g cm3 (0.61 the average density of the Earth). The acceleration of gravity on the surface of the Moon is 6 times greater than on Earth, is 162.3 cm sec2 and decreases by 0.187 cm sec2 when increasing by 1 kilometer. The first escape velocity is 1680 m.s., the second is 2375 m.s. Due to the low gravity, the Moon was unable to maintain a gas shell around itself, as well as water in a free state.
1.4 Moon phases
The change in the phase of the Moon is caused by changes in the conditions of illumination by the Sun of the dark globe of the Moon as it moves along its orbit. With a change in the relative position of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun, the terminator (the boundary between the illuminated and unlit parts of the Moon's disk) moves, which causes a change in the outlines of the visible part of the Moon.
The duration of the complete change of phases of the Moon (the so-called synodic month) is variable due to the ellipticity of the lunar orbit, and varies from 29.25 to 29.83 Earth solar days. The average synodic month is 29.5305882 days (29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 2.82 seconds).
In phases of the Moon close to the new moon (at the beginning of the first quarter and at the end of the last quarter), with a very narrow crescent, the unlit part forms the so-called. ashen light of the Moon - the visible glow of a surface not illuminated by direct sunlight of a characteristic ashen color.
The moon goes through the following phases of illumination:
.new moon - a state when the moon is not visible.
.new moon - the first appearance of the Moon in the sky after the new moon in the form of a narrow crescent.
.first quarter - the state when half of the Moon is illuminated.
.waxing moon
.full moon - a state when the entire moon is illuminated.
Waning moon
.last quarter - the state when half of the moon is illuminated again.
old moon
1.5 Internal structure of the Moon
Figure 2 - internal structure of the moon
The Moon, like the Earth, consists of distinct layers: crust, mantle and core. This structure is believed to have formed immediately after the formation of the Moon - 4.5 billion years ago. The thickness of the lunar crust is believed to be 50 km. Moonquakes occur within the thickness of the lunar mantle, but unlike earthquakes, which are caused by the movement of tectonic plates, moonquakes are caused by the tidal forces of the Earth. The Moon's core, like the Earth's core, consists of iron, but its size is much smaller and is 350 km in radius. The average density of the Moon is 3.3 g/cm3.
STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:
study the Moon and its influence on the Earth;
compare the forces and processes that affect the Earth under the influence of the Moon and other planets;
analyze earthquakes associated with the Moon and planet Earth;
In the future, work will continue on the topic “The influence of the Moon as a natural satellite on planet Earth” with a study of the current phenomena of the Moon. An analysis of the received data will be carried out, based on the results we will receive in the process of calculating and studying the interaction of the satellite with the planet.
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1 Ebbs and flows
The influence of the Moon on the earthly world exists, but it is not pronounced. You can hardly see him. The only phenomenon that visibly demonstrates the effect of the Moon's gravity is the Moon's influence on the ebb and flow of the tides. Our ancient ancestors associated them with the Moon. And they were absolutely right. The tides are so strong in some places that the water recedes hundreds of meters from the shore, exposing the bottom where the people living on the coast collected seafood. But with inexorable precision, the water that has retreated from the shore rolls in again. If you don’t know how often the tides occur, you can find yourself far from the shore and even die under the advancing water mass. The coastal peoples knew perfectly well the schedule of the arrival and departure of waters. This phenomenon occurs twice a day. Moreover, ebbs and flows exist not only in the seas and oceans. All water sources are influenced by the Moon. But far from the seas it is almost imperceptible: sometimes the water rises a little, sometimes it drops a little. Liquid is the only natural element that moves behind the Moon, oscillating. A stone or a house cannot be attracted to the moon because it has a solid structure. Pliable and plastic water clearly demonstrates the influence of lunar mass.
The Moon most strongly influences the waters of the seas and oceans on the side of the Earth that is currently facing directly towards it. If you look at the Earth at this moment, you can see how the Moon pulls the waters of the world's oceans towards itself, lifts them, and the thickness of the water swells, forming a “hump”, or rather, two “humps” appear - the high one on the side where the Moon is located , and less pronounced on the opposite side. The “humps” precisely follow the movement of the Moon around the Earth. Since the world ocean is a single whole and the waters in it communicate, the humps move from shore to shore. Since the Moon passes twice through points located at a distance of 180 degrees from each other, we observe two high tides and two low tides.
The highest tides occur on the ocean shores. In our country - on the shores of the Arctic and Pacific oceans. Less significant ebbs and flows are typical for inland seas. This phenomenon is observed even weaker in lakes or rivers. But even on the shores of the oceans, the tides are stronger at one time of the year and weaker at others. This is already due to the distance of the Moon from the Earth. The closer the Moon is to the surface of our planet, the stronger the tides will be. The further you go, the weaker it naturally gets. Water masses are influenced not only by the Moon, but also by the Sun. Only the distance from the Earth to the Sun is much greater, so we do not notice its gravitational activity. But it has long been known that sometimes the ebb and flow of the tides become very strong. This happens whenever there is a new moon or full moon. This is where the power of the Sun comes into play. At this moment, all three planets - the Moon, Earth and Sun - line up in a straight line. There are already two gravitational forces acting on the Earth - both the Moon and the Sun. Naturally, the height of the rise and fall of the waters increases. The combined influence of the Moon and the Sun will be strongest when both planets are on the same side of the Earth, that is, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. And the water will rise more strongly from the side of the Earth facing the Moon.
In relation to planet Earth, the cause of tides is the presence of the planet in the gravitational field created by the Sun and Moon. Since the effects they create are independent, the impact of these celestial bodies on Earth can be considered separately. In this case, for each pair of bodies we can assume that each of them revolves around a common center of gravity. For the Earth-Sun pair, this center is located deep in the Sun at a distance of 451 km from its center. For the Earth-Moon pair, it is located deep in the Earth at a distance of 2/3 of its radius.
Each of these bodies experiences tidal forces, the source of which is the force of gravity and internal forces that ensure the integrity of the celestial body, in the role of which is the force of its own attraction, hereinafter called self-gravity. The emergence of tidal forces can be most clearly seen in the Earth-Sun system.
The tidal force is the result of the competing interaction of the gravitational force, directed towards the center of gravity and decreasing in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from it, and the fictitious centrifugal force of inertia caused by the rotation of the celestial body around this center. These forces, being opposite in direction, coincide in magnitude only at the center of mass of each of the celestial bodies. Thanks to the action of internal forces, the Earth rotates around the center of the Sun as a whole with a constant angular velocity for each element of its constituent mass. Therefore, as this element of mass moves away from the center of gravity, the centrifugal force acting on it increases in proportion to the square of the distance. A more detailed distribution of tidal forces in their projection onto a plane perpendicular to the ecliptic plane is shown in (Fig. 3).
Figure 3 - diagram of the distribution of tidal forces in projection onto a plane perpendicular to the Ecliptic. The gravitating body is either to the right or to the left.
The reproduction of changes in the shape of bodies exposed to them, achieved as a result of the action of tidal forces, can, in accordance with the Newtonian paradigm, be achieved only if these forces are completely compensated by other forces, which may include the force of universal gravity.
Figure 4 - deformation of the Earth's water shell as a consequence of the balance of tidal force, self-gravitational force and the force of reaction of water to compression force
As a result of the addition of these forces, tidal forces arise symmetrically on both sides of the globe, directed in different directions from it. The tidal force directed towards the Sun is of gravitational nature, while the force directed away from the Sun is a consequence of the fictitious force of inertia.
These forces are extremely weak and cannot be compared with the forces of self-gravity (the acceleration they create is 10 million times less than the acceleration of gravity). However, they cause a shift in the water particles of the World Ocean (the resistance to shear in water at low speeds is practically zero, while to compression it is extremely high), until the tangent to the surface of the water becomes perpendicular to the resulting force.
As a result, a wave appears on the surface of the world's oceans, occupying a constant position in systems of mutually gravitating bodies, but running along the surface of the ocean together with the daily movement of its bottom and shores. Thus (ignoring ocean currents), each particle of water undergoes an oscillatory movement up and down twice during the day.
Horizontal movement of water is observed only near the coast as a consequence of a rise in its level. The more shallow the seabed is, the greater the speed of movement.
Tidal phenomena occur not only in the water, but also in the air shell of the Earth. They are called atmospheric tides. Tides also occur in the solid body of the Earth, since the Earth is not absolutely solid. Vertical fluctuations of the Earth's surface due to tides reach several tens of centimeters.
2 Earthquakes and the Moon
moon phase tide
The moon can not only cause tides on Earth, but is also the cause of earthquakes. The approach of the Earth's satellite raises the surface of our planet by 30 cm every day. Large earthquakes are not so dependent on the influence of the Moon, since they occur on rock shifts at great depths under enormous stress. In any case, the lunar effect is much weaker than it appears. Tectonic plates accumulate stress over centuries. If earthquakes were directly dependent on lunar tides , then they would occur every day when the satellite’s gravity reaches its maximum.
The earthquake is explained by the presence of gravitational connections between the Earth and the Moon, the tides of their solid crust, and the mutual rotation of bodies. If we take into account that the vibrations of the solid crust occur elastically, at certain moments of time, due to the presence of defects in the solid crust, in faults, “bounce” peaks appear, similar to the “blink” of a metal rod. If we have a metal rod without defects and excite mechanical vibrations in it, at each point we will observe the vibrations that we excited. If there are defects in this rod, the cracking “blinking” that occurs in the crack will be superimposed on sinusoidal oscillations. At the moment when the wave carrying “batter” from all sides comes to the corresponding crack, energy will be released at the location of the crack.
There is a similar picture of the development of earthquakes in the earth's crust. Undamped oscillations of the earth's crust are created by the rotation of the earth and the gravitational forces of the moon and sun and pass elastically along the surface of the earth. Rattling occurs in places of “living cracks”, where the vibrations of the tidal wave in the Earth are not transmitted smoothly, elastically, but displacements occur. The direction of the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon determines the direction of the chatter wave communication line from the Earth to the Moon (to the Sun). During the existence and development of gravitational connection, two main forces act on the rocks of the Earth. This is the gravitational force of the Earth and the gravitational force of the Moon. When the Moon leaves and the connection is broken, only the gravity of the Earth remains. The entire difference in the gravitational energies of the Earth and the Moon is directed to the location of the future epicenter of the earthquake. At the moment of “breaking” of this connection during the rotation of the planets, a wave appears directed to the place where the chatter originates. This wave, called the "KaY" wave, is characterized by the fact that it arises due to the occurrence of gravitational resonance coupling of "rattling zones" on the Moon and Earth. When the Moon moves, this line of communication shifts, with the balance of the gravitational forces of the planets. When communication with the Moon is lost, the line breaks and reverse “KaY” waves (“Kay” - Kozyrev and Yagodin) appear on the Earth and on the Moon, carrying energy towards future earthquake epicenters. Since this wave goes to one point from the area, its energy increases and by the time it arrives at the point it has enormous energy, causing an earthquake in that place. Very often you can observe how “blinking” occurs on a wave and is detected by the sensor in the form of a “group of peaks”. They correspond not to one earthquake, but to a whole group of earthquakes over a large area at different times. In this case, each peak corresponds to a shock in these earthquakes, and the quotient of the distance from the sensor to the epicenters of these earthquakes divided by the time elapsed from the appearance of the peak on the sensor to the beginning of the corresponding earthquakes is a constant.
3. RESEARCH RESULTS
The purpose of this work was to calculate the gradient of the force of the Moon with which it acts on planet Earth (comparable to the Sun):
The force of gravitational attraction is proportional to the mass M of the attracting body and inversely proportional to the square of the distance R to it. Accordingly, on the surface of the Earth, the force of attraction towards the Earth itself (MEarth = 6·1027 g. REarth = 6378 km) is 1 g, towards the Sun (MSun = 2·1033 g. RSun = 150·106 km) - 0.00058g, and to the Moon (MLun = 7·1025 g. Moon = 384·103 km) - only 0.0000031g, i.e. 190 times weaker than to the Sun. It is also obvious that in a uniform force field there will be no tides.
However, the gravitational field is not uniform, but has a center in the attracting mass M. Accordingly, for any body with finite dimensions there will be a difference in gravitational forces at opposite edges, which is called tidal force. The tidal force will be proportional to the first derivative of the gravitational force. The force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, and the derivative of 1/r2 is equal to -2/r3, that is, inversely proportional to the cube of the distances.
Therefore, the Moon, which is much closer to the Earth, despite its small mass, creates a tidal force almost 2 times greater than the Sun.
It is also necessary to explain why there are no earthquakes at the poles.
Earthquakes occur at the junction of lithospheric plates. Plate boundaries correspond to ocean shelves on geographic maps. There are no tectonic plates at the north pole, but there is one at the south pole, but it is not moving anywhere. We found out that the Moon does not create earthquakes itself, directly, therefore, there are no earthquakes at the poles. Of course, tidal forces do not act at the poles.
Figure 5 - location of lithospheric plates
The Earth and Moon revolve around a common center of gravity (barycenter) of the system Earth - Moon with a sidereal (relative to stars) period of 27.3 days (days). The Earth describes an orbit that is a mirror image of the Moon's orbit, but its dimensions are 81 times smaller than the lunar orbit. The barycenter is always located inside the Earth, at a distance of approximately 4670 km from its center. The body of the Earth rotates without rotation (translationally) around a “fixed” (in the Earth-Moon system) barycenter. As a result of such a monthly rotation of the Earth, all terrestrial particles are subject to exactly the same centrifugal force as at the Earth's center of mass. The sum of the vectors of the centrifugal force and the gravitational force of the Moon is called the tidal force of the Moon. The tidal force of the Sun is determined similarly. The magnitude of the tidal force is a function of the declination and geocentric distance of the Moon (or Sun). The amplitude of the monthly oscillations of the Moon's declination varies with a period of 18.61 years from 29° to 18°, due to the axis precession (regression of the nodes) of the lunar orbit. The perigee of the lunar orbit moves with a period of 8.85 years. The declination and geocentric distance of the Sun change with a period of 1 year. The earth rotates around its own axis with a daily period. As a result, the amplitude of oscillations of lunar-solar tidal forces changes over time with periods: 18.61 years, 8.85 years, 6.0 years, 1 year, 0.5 years, monthly, semi-monthly, weekly, daily , semi-diurnal and many other less significant periods.
Statistics of the most dangerous earthquakes and tsunamis from 1960 to 2011
The Great Chilean Earthquake, probably the largest earthquake on record, with a magnitude of 9.3 to 9.5, occurred on May 22, 1960 at 19:11 UTC.
The location of the epicenter is 39°30? Yu. w. 74°30? h. d.
Moon: phase 6% before new moon, distance 396679 km; astronomical new moon May 25, 1960 12:27, the distance from the center of the Earth to the center of the Moon is 403567 km, but before that the full moon May 11, 1960 05:41 UTC, 362311 km, supermoon.
Earthquake strength (moment) -9.2.
Earthquake strength (based on surface waves) - 8.4
Latitude 61° 2" 24" N Longitude 147° 43" 48" W
Moon: phase 0% - full moon, distance 393010 km.
Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966 at 5 hours 23 minutes. - catastrophic earthquake (magnitude 5.2).
Latitude. 41° 12" 0" N Longitude. 69° 6" 0" E
Moon: phase 27%, distance 371345 km;
The Tangshan earthquake on July 28, 1976 at 3:42 local time (July 27, 1976 19:48 UTC) was a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2.
Latitude 39° 39" 50" N Longitude 118° 24" 4" E.
Moon: phase 1% - new moon, distance 376365 km.
Spitak earthquake December 7, 1988 at 10:41 MCK (7:41 UTC) catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7.2.
Latitude. 40° 59" 13" N Longitude. 44° 11" 6" E
Moon: phase 4% BC (2 days), distance 394161 km;
Earthquake in Kobe. The earthquake occurred on the morning of Tuesday, January 17, 1995 at 05:46 local time (January 16, 1995 20:46 UTC). The force of the tremors reached 7.3 magnitudes on the Richter scale.
84° north latitude and 143.08° east longitude.
Moon: phase 100% - full moon, distance 395878 km, previous new moon January 1, 1995 10:55 UTC, distance to the Moon 362357 km. Supermoon.
The Neftegorsk earthquake - an earthquake with tragic consequences with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, occurred on the night of May 28, 1995 at 1:03 (May 27, 1995 13:03 UTC).
The epicenter is 55° north latitude and 142° east longitude.
Moon: phase 3% before the new moon, distance 402328 (new moon - May 29, 1995 09:28), but before that: full moon May 14, 1995 20:47 UTC, distance 358563 km. Supermoon.
The Izmit earthquake was a catastrophic earthquake (magnitude 7.6) that occurred on August 17, 1999 in Turkey at 3:01 local time (UTC 00:01:39).
Latitude 40° 44" 53" N Longitude 29° 51" 50" E
Moon: phase 30% after the new moon (5 days), distance 400765 km;
The Sichuan earthquake was a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.9 that occurred on May 12, 2008 at 14:28:01 local time (06:28:01 UTC) in China.
Latitude 31° 0" 7" N Longitude 103° 19" 19" E.
Moon: phase 51%, 7 days after the new moon, distance 379372 km: new moon May 5, 2008 10:55 UTC, distance to the Moon 358184 km. Supermoon.
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami December 26, 2004 at 00:58 UTC - the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history (magnitude 9.2) and the deadliest of all known tsunamis.
°30" north latitude and 95°87" east longitude.
Moon: phase 100%, full moon 404408 km, but before that new moon December 12 01:28, 364922 km. Supermoon.
Tsunami April 2, 2007, Solomon Islands (archipelago). Caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake that occurred in the South Pacific at 07:39. Waves several meters high reached New Guinea.
Moon: phase 0%, full moon, distance 404000 km, previous new moon March 19, 2007 at 02:44, 364311 km. Supermoon.
The Japan Honshu 9.0 earthquake and tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011 at 14:46 local time (05:46 UTC). Latitude 38.30N and longitude 142.50E. The source of the earthquake was located at a depth of 32 km.
Moon: phase 32% after the new moon (5 days), distance 393837. Astronomical new moon March 4, 2011 20:47, distance 404793 km; but the next full moon is March 19, 2011 20:46. Supermoon.
The above are catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis over the past 50 years. Statistics show that all of them happened during a full moon or new moon (with the exception of Tashkent and Izmit, which indirectly indicates their man-made nature). In addition, almost 80% of them are somehow related to the supermoon. Based on this analysis, we can conclude that during periods of supermoons, the risk of disasters from natural disasters actually increases.
Figure 6 - diagram of the distribution of earthquakes depending on the phases of the Moon and its position in orbit
When constructing the diagram, we completely ignored all the inequalities of the Moon's movement. The average values of the synodic (29.5 days) and anomalistic months (27.5 days) were taken. The average positions of syzygies and quadratures are plotted on the diagram, and the apogee (A) is shown as the average moment between adjacent perigees (P). For each earthquake, its distance in time to the nearest phase of the Moon, marked on the diagram, and to the moment the Moon passed through perigee or apogee was determined. The uncertainty of construction arising from the simplifications made hardly reaches one day. On the constructed diagram, each earthquake is marked with a dot. Earthquakes that fall on the diagram frame are marked adjacent to it, inside the diagram, and repeated on each of the opposite sides of the frame.
The constructed diagram clearly shows that near perigee earthquakes most often occur in syzygies, i.e. during the full moon and new moon, and at that time they almost never happen around quadratures. The second well-defined feature of the diagram is the grouping of earthquakes along directions running at an angle of 45 degrees. from syzygy to perigee. These directions represent the sequence of days of those lunations for which the new moon or full moon coincided with perigee. Consequently, not only the days of maximum tides of the earth's crust are favorable for earthquakes, but also the days immediately following them. Thus, maximum tides disrupt the condition of the outer layers of the Earth to such an extent that conditions favorable to earthquakes persist for a period of about a month.
CONCLUSION
In the course of this work, the natural satellite of the planet Earth, the Moon, was studied.
The influences the Moon has on the Earth were studied.
Based on these observations, we can conclude that the Moon really has an impact on planet Earth, both favorable and not. If we consider the influence of the phases of the Moon on a person, there is an assumption that it can also improve or worsen his well-being and thereby influence his activities. The study of the satellite and its effects is not yet fully understood. However, man has already learned to use such a property as gravitational force. A tidal power plant is a special type of hydroelectric power station that uses the energy of tides, and in fact the kinetic energy of the Earth's rotation. Tidal power plants are built on the shores of seas, where the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun change the water level twice a day. Fluctuations in water levels near the shore can reach 18 meters. Tidal hydroelectric power plants are considered the most environmentally friendly. Therefore, the study of this topic has a huge role. That is why I consider the chosen topic quite relevant.
LIST OF SOURCES USED
Frish S. A., Timoreva A. V. // Course of general physics, Textbook for physics, mathematics and physico-technical faculties of state universities, 1957. Vol. 1, no. 2. P. 312
Belonuchkin V. // Tidal forces Quantum. 1989. T. 12, issue. 3. P. 435.
Markov A. The Road to the Moon // In the journal. "Aviation and astronautics". ? 2002. ? No. 3. - P. 34.
General course in astronomy / Kononovich E.V., Moroz V.I.
E ed., rev. - M.: Editorial URSS, 2004. - 544 p.
Randzini D.M. // Cosmos, 2002. - P. 320.
Stars and planets. / Ya.M. Ridpath / Atlas of the Starry Sky,
V.D. Krotikov, V.S. Trinity. Radio emission and the nature of the Moon // Advances in Physics. Sciences, 1963. T.81. Issue 4. p.589-639
A.V. Khabakov. On the main issues of the history of the development of the lunar surface. M, 1949, 195 p.
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