‘Moon Man’ Ken Ring claims he correctly predicted the Christchurch earthquake and warned that an aftershock would hit the city on Sunday, despite disbelief from scientists.

Ring claims that the Christchurch earthquake was related to the movements of the moon. His predictions are based on the belief that earthquakes are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon on tectonic plates.

Scientists are dismissive of the Moon Man’s theories.

Christchurch vigil in London’s Westminster cathedral

Supermoon photos from around the world

When Ring predicted that a magnitude 7 quake would hit Christchurch on Sunday (March 20) a group of geologists, engineers, and a cabinet minister with a PhD in geotechnical engineering held a lunch in one of Christchurch’s oldest, tallest buildings to prove him wrong.

The lunch went without incident but Christchurch was, in fact, hit by a 5.1 magnitude quake on Sunday which some see as proof of Ring’s predictive powers.

Ring is a fishing commentator by profession but his earthquake predictions are taken seriously by some Christchurch residents who moved from their homes after his warnings.

However geotechnical engineer Nick Smith has slammed Ken Ring as “bogus”, saying it is “reckless and irresponsible for people like Ken Ring to be speculating on the timing of future major earthquakes with no scientific basis”.