Astronomy current events question: Sendai earthquake "supermoon?"

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Phil Plait, "No, the 'Supermoon' Didn’t Cause the Japanese Earthquake," March 11, 2011
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/03/11/no-the-supermoon-didnt-cause-the-japanese-earthquake/

The Sendai earthquake and tsunami in Japan was most definitely not caused by the moon because:
(A) there is no correlation between earthquakes and moon phase/position.
(B) the moon's gravity is always less than the sun's gravity.
(C) there is no evidence of moonquakes detected by lunar landers.
(D) the distance to the moon is actually gradually increasing each year.
(E) the moon's magnetic field is much stronger than its gravitational field.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 40 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 3 students