Climate Research

Tidal Pumping by the Sun’s Gravity Drives Tectonics, Submarine Volcanism, Continental Land Formation, and the El Nino Southern Oscillation

Authors: Richard F. Cronin
Comments: 7 Pages.

Tidal Pumping (Tidal Heating) is the very well-known Astrophysical phenomenon wherein the gravity of a major celestial body exerts a "pumping" or drag force on a smaller orbiting celestial body as it swings through an eccentric orbit to drive tectonics, volcanism, and the movement of continental land masses. Prime examples include the volcanic moons of the gas giants as they swing through their eccentric orbits. Jovian moon Io is the most volcanic celestial body in the Solar System. The rings of the gas giants were formed as moons were ripped apart by Tidal Pumping forces. The Earth and Sun tidally pump Venus, producing circular corona volcanoes, a CO2-rich atmosphere and all-enshrouding clouds of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid’s heat capacity is approx. 1/3 that of water, thus sulfuric acid a far less powerful coolant.The Sun exerts its most significant Tidal Pumping forces as the Earth swings through its Winter Solstice (approx. Dec. 21) followed closely by the Perihelion (the Earth’s closest approach to the Sun, approx. Jan. 4). Combined with the counter-clockwise rotation of the planet, the Pacific plate is dragged from Southeast to Northwest. The Australian plate and Indian plate are pushed aside and dragged to the North. The Indian plate thrusts beneath the Eurasian plate and builds the Himalayas. Upwelling magma forms new crust as the East Pacific Rise is pulled westward and the Nazca plate is pushed eastward to subduct beneath the South American plate. The Cocos plate subducts beneath the Caribbean plate. Divergence at the Galapagos Triple Junction introduces seismic heat into the Equatorial Central Pacific, driving the annual El Nino. A fuller explanation of the El Nino Southern Oscillation is borne in "Tidal Pumping, Solar Weather, & Geothermal Heat drive Earth’s Weather & Climate", Richard F. Cronin, August 31, 2025 (1).
Category: Climate Research