China's Monster Three Gorges Dam Is About To Slow The Rotation Of The Earth

The Business Insider ^ | 6-18-2010 | Cutler Cleveland, The Energy Watch

[Red Badger]

We would need a leap second every 45.45 years..........

[pingman]

I trust you’ll find a way to put it to good use!

[DH]

I also recommend “Under the Grandstand” by Seymour Butts.

[niteowl]

Quite right. This dam is a drop in the ocean compared to what the Moon is doing to us.

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit4/tides.html - (see Tidal Braking)

So in some billions of years (about the time the Sun is slated to go nova), the Moon will be about half again as far away from us as it is now (no more total Solar eclipses!), the Earth's rotation will be exactly the same as the Moon's orbital period (around 47 of our current days by then). You'll be in daylight for around 23 days, then in darkness for about 23 more, and the Moon will appear to hang over one spot on the Earth all the time.

So damn dam may hasten that moment by...what...a few years?...big deal.

[Jack Hydrazine]

I tend to say it might increase the precession of the rotation of the Earth thereby altering our orbit around the Sun a little quicker resulting in the expediting of the next ice age.

[Jack Hydrazine]

“I believe the moon/earth/tide action is slowing the earth down and sending the moon further away.”

That’s correct. The Moon moves away from the Earth about 2 inches annually.

[cripplecreek]

That’s correct. The Moon moves away from the Earth about 2 inches annually.

Maybe I should bathe more often.

[benewton]

It does to Brat, the assault kitten, too, when it comes to tuna.

Technical details depend on the application and requirements, of course.

[jurroppi1]

We haven't been getting many leap seconds lately, I say we need more!

WIKI Leap Second

see the table on the right near the top of the page.

[Joe Brower]

"Well, we know how well Chinese engineering stands up in earthquakes."

Correct. For all their effort, this level of engineering often seems ultimately beyond them. The endemic corruption, cutting corners, etc. all end up going badly in the end.

From their past actions, it's pretty obvious that the Chinese government could care less if millions of their own citizens get obliterated if this monstrosity fails. The "international community" would show more sympathy than the bastards in Bejing. As much as I don't like to admit it, I wouldn't be shedding any tears. The Chinese are not our friends.

[late bloomer]

Kennebunk;
Showing your age with that one...

[Jack Hydrazine]

That would be pretty cool to see the world’s largest civil engineering project be destroyed by an EQ (not for the deaths it would cause).

[Colvin]

I am going to a beef fest this weekend. How much should I consume to compensate for this dam thing.

[Reeses]

it might increase the precession of the rotation of the Earth

Stop Global Wobbling! Within 100 years the wobble will reach a tipping point and Earth will flip on her side causing the polar ice cap to shake off.

[ctdonath2]

In 60 nanoseconds a normal desktop computer can perform at least 720 instructions.

[Red Badger]

That’s almost as fast as I can type!............

[Reeses]

In 60 nanoseconds a normal desktop computer can perform at least 720 instructions.

I wonder how many brain cells might fire during that time in a normal brain. A million?

[Western Phil]

the project quality is under control over its 17 years of construction

This does bring up a concern. Quality control is not one of Chinese products strong points.

[hosepipe]

Pure sillyness... slowing the rotation of the earth... duuuuuugh...

[TXnMA]

AaaaacKKK!! in another 164 years and three months, the day will be a whole second longer! We're all going to die from a lack of (or excess of) sleep -- or something...

Ooops! Correct that:

"Long before this has changed the day's length by as little as one second, we are all going to die from that invariably fatal disease called, 'LIFE'"...!