Solar effects are much more profound than many so-called climate scientists like to admit. It seems entirely plausible to me that earthquakes and volcanism are connected to solar events. This paper by Zhang from 1998 also associates increased Earthquakes with general increases in solar proton events.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/buvw2tq081013210/fulltext.pdf?page=1
Relationship between global seismicity and solar activities
Gui-Qing ZHANG
Vol. 11 No.4 (495~500) ACTA SEISMOLOGICA SINICA July, 1998
Beijing Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Abstract :
The relations between sunspot numbers and earthquakes (M>6), solar 10.7cm radio flux and earthquakes, solar proton events and earthquakes have been analyzed in this paper. It has been found that:
- Earthquakes occur frequently around the minimum years of solar activity. Generally, the earthquake activities are relatively less during the peak value years of solar activity, some say, a round the period when magnetic polarity in the solar polar regions is reversed.
- The earthquake frequency in the minimum period of solar activity is closely related to the maximum annual means of sunspot numbers, the maximum annual means of solar 10.7 cm radio flux and solar proton events of a whole solar cycle, and the relation between earthquake and solar proton events is closer than others.
- As judged by above interrelationship, the period from 1995 to 1997 will be the years while earthquake activities are frequent. In the paper, the simple physical discussion has been carried out.
Piers Corbyn at WeatherAction comments:
“We now think that it is not just general solar proton event levels which point towards more earthquakes but that individual solar proton events exacerbate immediate earthquake (and associated volcanism) risk either directly or due to consequent storm activity and related surface pressure changes such as caused by our solar triggered and predicted Tropical Cyclone Atu which is currently centred North of New Zealand and heading closer.
There are also additional lunar effects on storm development and earthquakes & volcanism and for solar drivers it appears that the odd-even minima, particularly the later part i.e. the rising phase of even solar cycles – WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE NOW (early Solar Cycle 24) – are the most dangerous.
Prediction of individual Earthquakes is very hard but we are very confident of a continuing period of significantly enhanced earthquake and volcanic activity as well as extreme weather events for the coming one or two years, probably exceeding the levels of the most active extended periods in at least the last 100 years.”
The k2p blog 