Does Volcano Season Exist? One Study Suggests Eruptions Might Have a Pattern

Click here to jump to images of Mount Ontake's eruption in Japan

Tornado season in the United States traditionally lasts from March through May, with a second season in October and November. Hurricane season spans June through November. Now, one study suggests there might be a volcano season, too.

A study published in the journal Terra Nova shows that multiyear changes in the Earth's spin may have an effect on our planet's volcanoes. The study, which included observations of Earth from 1830 to 2013, concludes that large volcanic eruptions traditionally followed big changes in the planet's rotation rate.

With the recent eruptions of volcanoes in Iceland, Japan, Hawaii, Ecuador and Mexico, figuring out a possible pattern for volcanic activity is as important as ever.

Gravitational pull from the sun and Earth's moon can influence our planet's rotation rate, which causes the length of our days to vary from year to year. Because these differences are measured in milliseconds, we don't notice them, but the study suggests these minute changes can set off the planet's volcanoes.

(MORE: Mount Ontake Erupts, Killing Dozens)

When that energy is transferred into the subsurface, the study adds, it can disturb the magma flow underground, pushing it to the surface and making a volcanic eruption more likely.

It's important to note that this is an initial study into the topic, so while we can't yet draw definitive conclusions that some volcanic eruptions are caused by Earth's rotation rate, these findings are likely to spur a deeper dive into the topic for researchers.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Japan's Mount Ontake Erupts