Comment on: “Solar system planetary alignment triggers tides and earthquakes” by Salih Muhammad Awadh [Journal of Coastal Conservation (2021) 25: 30]

Abstract

In this piece of work, we provide comments on the paper: “Solar system planetary alignment triggers tides and earthquakes” by Awadh (2021). The paper claimed to undertake quantitative statistical analysis of earthquakes and planetary alignment across the world and, particularly, in the Zagros Region. As a result of his statistical analysis, he claimed that the alignment of the Earth with two planets in a straight line would generate earthquakes. However, after a careful review of the paper, we found that the analysis was qualitative in its major part. It is suffering from a lack of clarity for planetary alignment data and methods, in addition to a deficiency in earthquake data. We found that the major two tables (i.e., Tables 2 and 5) used by Awadh (2021) to demonstrate the relationship and the planetary alignment were not accurate. Our work demonstrates the problems of relying on inadequate and inappropriate datasets of Awadh’s (2021) paper.