Earth's Tides Can Trigger Earthquakes Along the San Andreas Fault

The same tides that affect ocean waves can trigger earthquakes along California's San Andreas Fault, and scientists unexpectedly find that these quakes are more likely to happen as tides are strengthening, not when they are at their strongest. Previous research found that the tidal effects on Earth's crust could trigger both tremors and earthquakes. The study?s scientists were interested in how the planet's tides might affect small, deep seismic events known as low-frequency earthquakes.