planetquake n.

seismic activity on the surface of a planet, especially one other than Earth

Science

  • 1887 J. A. W. Oliver Earthquake Warnings in Murray’s Magazine June 817 page image

    But why should Jupiter and Saturn exercise such a particular influence on the earth when they attain these longitudes? M. Delauney answers that when in those longitudes the planets encounter meteor swarms, and just as earthquakes are rather numerous in November, when the earth passes through a meteor stream, so they reach a maximum when either of the planets undergoes the same experience. By strict parity of reasoning, it is planet-quakes that ought to ensue upon these conditions, not earthquakes; but to a bold theorist like M. Delauney that is a trifle.

  • 1934 S.O.S. from Saturn in Scoops 12 May 414/3 page image A. M. Low bibliography

    Blowed if that ain’t the limit. What are you fellows getting at? A trip to a great world like Saturn to settle a couple of planet-quakes? What do you think Saturn is—a ship in distress?

  • 1941 M. A. Rothman Convention of 1960 in Milty’s Mag June 5 page image Milton A. Rothman

    The hyperspatial transition—and what it means! This planetquake between two planets that exist simultaneously across hyperspace—portions of each planet changing position!

  • 1954 K. F. Crossen Agile Algolian in Thrilling Wonder Stories Winter ii. 69/2 page image Kendell Foster Crossen bibliography

    If there had been any doubt that J. Barnaby Cruikshank was up to something, his appearance would have removed it. Normally, any interference with the slumber of the president of Greater Solarian would have resulted in an explosion of temper like a major planet-quake. Instead, however, he was staring out of the screen with the benign expression of an indulgent uncle.

  • 1965 F. Saberhagen Masque of Red Shift in If Nov. iii. 41/2 page image Fred Saberhagen bibliography

    You are an accident, like a planet-quake, like a pellet of dust hitting a ship near light-speed.

  • 1970 M. A. deFord Fun-Nee in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Mar. 91/2 page image Miriam Allen deFord bibliography

    Nobody knew why he was laughing, but nobody could stop. It was a catharsis, a volcanic eruption, a planetquake, a tidal wave, all rolled into one. It swallowed tension and fear and prejudice and hatred.

  • 1977 A. E. Zeek Cytherean Cycle in Time Warp (#1) iv. 100 page image Anne Elizabeth Zeek

    An impact missile, exploding on contact with the planet’s surface just outside the force-field, had hit a geophysical fault In the underlying sub-strata and had set off a minor planetquake.

  • 1988 M. Diehl Men v. 56 page image

    Agnes drank tea and I ate cookies while Grandmother began to talk. What effect would seven moons have on a small planet? What intelligence would develop in a species without foe? Could anv creature adjust to perpetual planetquake? I remember the absorption in her voice as she put the planet together from her not inconsiderable knowledge of science and her much greater, I suspect, knowledge of science fiction.

  • 1995 ‘P. D. Hodgson’ Canterbury Path in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Aug. 26 page image Rebecca Maines bibliography

    St. George of Kputkp, born George Morville in Bradbury, Mars, July 12, 2812 [...] offered himself for martyrdom in the manner of St. Elisabeth Altgeld, whose canonization he championed, as aid to the starving population after a series of planetquakes jeopardized the peaceful civilization of Kputkp.

  • 2000 N. Kress Probability Moon xxix. 312 page image Nancy Kress bibliography

    The three of them scuttled backward. Bazargan tried not to think what might happen if the wave caused a planetquake and the cave collapsed.

  • 2017 ‘K. C. Alexander’ & J. M. Hough Nexus Uprising xvii. 248 Karina Cooper Jason M. Hough bibliography

    This, Sloane reluctantly agreed, probably merited a chat. Maybe even an honest-to-God meeting. Supplies were a problem that loomed like an overdue planetquake, just distant enough that everyone knew it was coming, yet no one wanted to do anything about it.


Research requirements

antedating 1887

Earliest cite

John A. Westwood Oliver, ‘Earthquake Warnings’

Research History
Suggested, and most cites submitted, by Bee Ostrowsky.

Last modified 2022-09-30 16:57:06
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.