March 14, 2011
Slightly Shortened Days Because of Earthquake
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan is being hypothetically tested to determine if it could have slightly shortened the length of each earth day by shifting earths axis. This particular earthquake is the fifth largest since the 1900's and used these earthquake numbers to to produce a complex model to determine how it has affected Earth's rotation. They have calculated that the earthquake that changed Earth's mass caused the shortening of an average day by about 1.8 microseconds. The changes could also include Earth's figure axis being shifted by about 17 centimeters. These changes are in reference to a year before a 8.8 earthquake in Chili that estimated the shortened of a day by 1.26 microseconds and shifting he axis by 8 centimeters. Another example is the 2004 9.1 earthquake in Sumatran that shortened the length of the day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted the axis by 7 centimeters. The theory is that anything that redistributes Earth's mass will change Earth's rotation as well. While also these changes would not effect people's daily lives and it is quite natural.
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