Posted on 01/14/2005 1:58:20 PM PST by 1LongTimeLurker
Daytime is now 2.68 microseconds shorter because of last month's tsunami.
The massive force unleashed by an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia altered the shape of Earth in a number of minute yet significant ways, NASA scientists have determined.
In data released this week, NASA determined that the Dec. 26 earthquake moved the North Pole, which constantly jiggles slightly, 2.5 centimeters--about an inch--in an eastward shift that is part of a long-term seismic shift.
Earth also became slightly more round, as the planet's oblateness, the quality of being flattish on top and bulging at the equator, decreased by a small amount. Further, daytime decreased by 2.68 microseconds because Earth now spins slightly faster on its axis. The phenomenon is similar to a figure skater in a twirl pulling his or her arms in slightly closer.
All earthquakes affect the shape of the planet, but the force of the recent tsunami-inducing quake--the fourth-largest recorded in 100 years--was particularly strong. Benjamin Chao of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center compared the impact of the quake to the potential impact of the Three Gorges Dam project in China.
If filled, the massive gorge created by the dam would hold 40 cubic kilometers (10 trillion gallons) of water. That shift of mass would increase the length of a day by only 0.06 microseconds and make the Earth only very slightly more round in the middle and flat on the top. It would shift the pole position by about two centimeters (0.8 inches).
"Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car," Chao said in a statement.
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If daytime is shorter because Earth is spinning faster, then night time is shorter too.
"Tsunami moves North Pole, shortens daytime"
It's all Bush's fault.
Santa lost real estate, Santa won't be happy.
Don't let the environuts hear about that one. Now they'll have yet another (stupid, as usual) reason to ban cars.
Good point what is east at the pole????
Well, Santa is a judgmental hater anyways, with his "naughty and nice" lists.
US Geological Survey: Naughty
The old North Pole and 0 Deg longitude, I imagine.
and if the north pole shifted east then wouldn't the south pole shift west in accordance thus making the point moot... or am I just drinking earlier than normal on friday
Technically, walking changes the mass distribution of the Earth and affects its spin.
Then we can tell them that their protest marches are bad for the environment. Cool!
" and geostationary satellites are no longer stationary?"
No! No!
They are only SLIGHTLY no longer stationary!
Oh, COME ON!! Geez. The only people who will buy into that malarkey are the pointy-headed changelings.
"NASA is totally stumped trying to calculate the ever-changing effects on the earth's shape when Michael Moore travels the globe."
ROTFL! Fattyweight 911!
Sorry,Santa, but God does have eminent domain.
I thought it got darker a little earlier last night.
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