Popular opinion is divided about whether a surviving plesiosaur lives in Loch Ness or whether the modern myth of the monster is the result of a string of elaborate hoaxes.

The geologist, from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Florence, said that historical descriptions of the monster often include details of the earth shaking.

He claims that sightings of the monster are linked to bubbles rising from the bottom of the Loch caused by seismic activity along the Great Glen fault system, which runs beneath.

Although people may not associate Scotland with earthquakes, Luigi said that the fault line is 'very large and very active'.

The geologist told Italian newspaper, La Repubblica: 'There are various effects on the surface of the water that can be related to the activity of the fault.'

Dr Piccardi points to an old biography about Saint Columba, written by Adamnan, that says the monster appeared and disappeared when the earth shook.

Written in 690AD, the text describes a story about the saint crossing the River Ness when his disciple is attacked by a monster and is saved when he asks for the protection of god.

Many people have noted that the description is very vague and mentions an 'unknown beast' with a loud roar. 

It does not support any scientific explanation as there are no bubbles or mention of an ancient monster dwelling in the loch itself.

The description also does not make any reference to any previous monster sightings, but it is the mention of the earth shaking that interests Dr Piccardi.

He said that there were a number of reported sightings of Nessie in the 1930s that coincided with seismic activity along the Great Glen fault line.

'I think it’s an obvious description of what really happened...with increased activity of the fault, in reality people have seen the effects of the earthquakes on the water,' he said.

He believes that his theory can be applied to over 3,500 Nessie sightings.

Geologists said that there have been earthquakes in the Loch Ness area measuring between 3 and 4 on the Richter scale.

The largest earthquakes were recorded in 1816, 1888, 1890 and 1901.

Unlike Dr Piccardi, some geologists have said that earthquakes did not coincide with the explosion of Nessie sightings in the1930s.

They have also claimed that Scotland's most violent earthquakes were too weak to cause noticeable ripples of the surface of the loch.

The Italian geologist has been careful to point out that he believes the value of his hypothesis lies in making geologists aware of the geological origin of some popular myths.

He has also claimed that the mystery of the Oracle of Delphi is caused by sulphur gas.