full moon and sex

[nathan]

amphibian sex that is:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8145000/8145125.stm

What I'm confused about is
But "newts appear to avoid arriving at the breeding site when the Moon is in its third quarter. This could be because the Earth's magnetic field is highest at that time. More research is needed to clarify this," Grant says.

I didn't know the moon had any effect on Earth's magnetic field (I thought the moon had no field, lacking an iron core). I would have put it down to journalistic garbling, but it's a direct quote from the researcher.

What is this about, or is it bogus?

deliberate deception not implied.

[Dogdoctor]

I guess they are wondering what it is that is detected by the amphibians. One would need an artificial environment to study them in to figure it out. I think many animals have behaviors related to the moon cycle. In Hawaii box jelly fish show up at beaches a few days after the full moon.

[nathan]

That wasn't my question. I'm disinterested in amphibian lunar rythms. I'm curious about the claim that the moon affects Earth's magnetic field.

[DC]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_field_of_the_Moon

[laca]

amphibian sex that is:


Bastard :D

[nathan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_field_of_the_Moon

Thanks. It does have a field that is weak compared to Earth's. Does it affect the Earth's field? Can you determine the phase of the moon by taking a local reading of the Earth's field? (That's what I infer the original quote is implying.)

[RachelGrant]

The lunar cycle affects the earth's magnetic field. Here are some citations:
Stolov, H. L. 1965. Further investigations of a variation of geomagnetic activity with
lunar phase. Journal of Geophysical Research, 70, 4921–4926.

Markson, R. 1971. Considerations regarding solar and lunar modulation of
geophysical parameters, atmospheric electricity and thunderstorms. Pure and
Applied Geophysics, 84, 161–200.

Lohmann, K. J. & Willows, A. O. D. 1987. Lunar-modulated geomagnetic orientation
by a marine mollusk. Science, 235, 331–334.

[ingoa]

If you do not take solar flares into account, which are quite irregular, there is a daily variation of of the magnetic field which depends on the sun (heating ionosphere during the day). The different heating during the seasons also induces a variation.

I have never encountered the notion of a lunar cycle in the earth magnetic field. My lessons in geophysics were 25 years ago, so I might be outdated on this one. But the effect must be very small, if it exists at all.

[nathan]

Thanks Rachel. Welcome to the forum, and nice detective work