Experts warn that deadly earthquakes are expected next year due to the slowing of Earth’s rotation

Moreover, they warn that we “had it easy this year”, with only six massive earthquakes recorded.

Scientists believe that we could have at least 20 massive earthquakes in the following year, most of which are expected to occur in tropical regions that are home to almost one billion people.

The small changes in the speed of Earth’s rotation will lead to huge seismic activity by releasing vast amounts of underground energy, according to experts.

Our planet’s rotation is slowing down because of the tidal forces between the Moon and Earth. In other words, the side of our planet that is closest to the moon feels its pull the strongest, while the other side feels its gravity less. The difference in gravitational pull stretches the Earth, leading to tidal bulges that pull the moon closer or farther away by around 4 cm per year.

The moon exerts the opposite force on them, pulling them back toward it, which creates friction and slows down the Earth’s rotation.

Even though the rotational rate has not declined evenly, the average day has grown longer by somewhere around 15-25 millionths of a second every year.

The correlation between Earth’s rotation and earthquake activity is strong and suggests there is going to be an increase in numbers of intense earthquakes next year, Dr Roger Bilham from the University of Colorado told the Observer.