Literally earth-shaking, Tsunami quake shifted the North Pole, moved Newark, NJ, 1/2 inch

The Newark Star Ledger ^ | 12.31.04

[lepton]

I know exactly where we got that mistaken impression from...that old drawing of parallax being the difference between the view from the left eye and the right.

Really, the difference is that using the median allows you to do the calculations with a right triangle - which is much simpler.

[nmh]

People can believe anything:

"he believes the quake moved the soil in the Newark and greater metropolitan area by a half- inch. "

Where's the PROOF of this?

[nmh]

Too many weasel words ...

"One of the perplexing scientific questions for Tom Herrington, a graduate professor at Stevens Institute of Technology's Center for Maritime Systems, is whether the tsunami generated by the quake will affect the underlying circulation patterns of the oceans, such as the Gulf Stream. It's possible, he said."

Anything is "POSSIBLE" . It's a speculative article with no evidence to support their latest beliefs or theories.

[nmh]

I suspect it's as far AWAY as ever. ;)

[VeritatisSplendor]

I didn't get anything backwards -- annular eclipses were indeed less likely in the past when the moon was closer, and I was making the point that 250 million years ago, the amount closer that the moon was was so small that annular eclipses were possible even then.

Half a billion years ago, annular eclipses were impossible. Half a billion years from now, total eclipses will be impossible. In between, both are possible (because the moon's distance from the earth varies so much).

[RadioAstronomer]

You are correct. I should have read your post a bit more carefully. However, lepton was right with his statement "Wouldn't annular eclipses be more likely when the moon is further (future) than closer (past)"

[RadioAstronomer]

Thank you

You both are most welcome. :-)

[hispanarepublicana]

hey, happy new year!

[hispanarepublicana]

There's a not-very-lady-like joke about the difference between 4 microseconds and 3 microseconds...the punchline involves the length of time it takes a drop of water to splash up out of a toilet bowl.

[farmfriend]

Happy new year to you as well. Hope all is going well on your end. Life moves on at my end.

[Nowhere Man]

Just point into your mind a what-if situation. What if...four massive earthquakes occured within 24 hours and the tilt of the earth went south 2 degrees? The north pole would be nearer to Cold Lake, Canada...NY would be in the prevsious climate region of Montreal...Miami would move up on the climate location of North Florida and see more freezes. It doesn't take alot to make this scenario occur.

I just barely dabble in astronomy although it is an interest of mine. I like science in general although I gravitate towards the radio-electronics side being an amateur radio operator and so on. Still, I think a couple of my "kicks in the butt" towards this interest was the Moon landing of Apollo 11 when I was 3 and my grandmother being into things like astronomy, the ancient Egyptians and so on when she was a teenager in the 1920's. Back then, I remember she told me she had a book that documentated that the Earth's Axis tilt varied throughout history from something like 21.5 to 24.5 degrees and this is one of the reasons why climate changes and why the Sahara was a desert now as opposed to being a fertile area in the past. I wish she had that book until she passed on in 1997 and if she did, I would hope she would pass it to me, sounds like it would be interesting reading.

[capitan_refugio]

Thank you for that post.

Geologic evidence (depositional and fossil) suggests that the rotation of the earth around its axis is generally slowing. In the Cambrian, for instance, there is good evidence for a 500+/- day year.

The slowing of the earth's rotation is undoubtedly coupled with the distance of the moon from the earth. The farther away the moon is, the slower the earth's rotation. You make mention of this relationship in one of the paragraphs of your post.

[Young Werther]

Born in Newark and grew up in Belleville. Heaven or Hell? Depends whether Newark moved towards of away from the oil refineries just south of Newark.

BTAIM North Jersey has always been Heaven compared to those heathens to the east across the Hudson!!

Nu Joisey rules!!

[Coleus]

The sky is falling. >>

Let me put on my hardhat.

[Coleus]

Where's the PROOF of this? >>

Proof, in a newspaper?

[RECON27]

That is the 64 million dollar question...."Have you made plans for a natural disaster or will you be the one with your hand out after it hits" ? I moved to Florida 12 yrs ago from New Jersey and was told to keep a hurricane pantry.....HA.... I thought it was a joke... but did it anyway. It has sat there for 11 yrs and I have rotated the stock to try to keep it as fresh and updated as possible. When the first hurricane came this year we were in good shape and had food every day with enough to share with my neighbor. When the second hurricane was approaching we got in the car and left town.... we were out of canned goods and had to go. Since then I have replaced everything and have even gotten some REM's.... I guess the Boy Scouts had it right when they said "BE PREPARED".... it could mean your life.

[ForGod'sSake]

Uh huh, sounds about right to me. Within tolerances at least...

Shoulda declared a no geek zone; sheesh! ;^)

FGS

[DennisR]

Probably, but do not even think about your taxes being lowered!!! :)

[ForGod'sSake]

But survival provisions should be a part of every household.

Agreed; along with educating ourselves regarding potential disasters and how to prepare for them in such a way we can help others survive. Simple things like first aid, CPR, etc could be invaluable in a situation where first responders are overwhelmed.

FGS

[ForGod'sSake]

I guess the Boy Scouts had it right when they said "BE PREPARED".... it could mean your life.

Indeed, and the lives of others if we're even minimally prepared to help.

FGS