Sun storms could jostle Earth’s faults, new study hints at quake link
A new study suggests that solar flares may perturb Earth’s ionosphere, altering electrostatic forces in the crust and potentially nudging faults toward earthquakes. The authors model the crust and ionosphere as connected like a leaky battery; critics say the approach is oversimplified and real geology could dampen any effect. Validation is challenging, though the researchers cite a 2024 Japan quake as possible support, emphasizing that correlation does not equal causation.