Tsunami - science update
NASA
released their report on the devastating Tsunami in Indonesia today.
bq.
How the Earthquake affected Earth
The Dec. 26th Indonesian megathrust earthquake quickened Earth's rotation and changed our planet's shape.
bq. January 10, 2005: NASA scientists studying the Indonesian earthquake of Dec. 26, 2004, have calculated that it slightly changed our planet's shape, shaved almost 3 microseconds from the length of the day, and shifted the North Pole by centimeters.
bq. Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Dr. Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said all earthquakes have some effect on Earth's rotation. It's just that the effects are, usually, barely noticeable.
bq. This one was not usual: The devastating megathrust earthquake registered nine on the new "moment" scale (modified Richter scale), making it the fourth largest 'quake in one hundred years.
Although they caution:
bq. None of these changes have yet been measured--only calculated. But Chao and Gross hope to detect the changes when Earth rotation data from ground based and space-borne sensors are reviewed.
Our planet at work. We in the Puget Sound are somewhat overdue for a biggie and the Yellowstone Caldera is way overdue...
Posted by DaveH at January 10, 2005 10:54 PM