earth slowing rotation, or not?

On 10 Jul 2003 02:18:58 GMT, (BHZellner) wrote:

This adding the leap seconds, is done due to
inaccuracies in our calendars and not the Earth
speeding or slowing down.

Clearly a troll. The fact is just the opposite. Leap
years are a correction to the calendar. Leap
seconds are a correction to the clock, not the
calendar.

I may have misspoke but this was not a troll.

Then where does the energy come from to replace the losses from tidal braking?
If it is not slowing down, then that would be itself a big mystery. What
evidence do you have that it is not slowing down, which would prove all the
scientists wrong who say it is?

Marshall


I did not mean to say the earth is not slowing down.

The earth is slowing down. From the drift of your question I got the
impression that you felt the rate at which the Earth slows down was
increasing since they were adding all those leap seconds. This is not
the case.

Paul Curran replied to someone who jumped to a conclusion:

This adding the leap seconds, is done due to inaccuracies
in our calendars and not the Earth speeding or slowing down.

Clearly a troll. The fact is just the opposite. Leap years
are a correction to the calendar. Leap seconds are a correction
to the clock, not the calendar.

I may have misspoke but this was not a troll.

If Paul *is* a troll, he's one of those cute, pudgy little
trolls with primary-colored hair, not one of those mean, nasty
creatures who post to generate heat and flames.

The situation Marshall Dudley originally asked about is complex
enough that the correct answer isn't immediately obvious to me.
However, changes in just the atmosphere and oceans could be
enough to account for a change in the period of Earth's rotation
of one second in 365 days.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

..

On 11 Jul 2003 06:37:07 -0700, (Jeff Root) wrote:

Paul Curran replied to someone who jumped to a conclusion:

This adding the leap seconds, is done due to inaccuracies
in our calendars and not the Earth speeding or slowing down.

Clearly a troll. The fact is just the opposite. Leap years
are a correction to the calendar. Leap seconds are a correction
to the clock, not the calendar.

I may have misspoke but this was not a troll.

If Paul *is* a troll, he's one of those cute, pudgy little
trolls with primary-colored hair, not one of those mean, nasty
creatures who post to generate heat and flames.

Thank you, I think.

O
Marshall

I did not mean to say the earth is not slowing down.

The earth is slowing down. From the drift of your question I got the
impression that you felt the rate at which the Earth slows down was
increasing since they were adding all those leap seconds. This is not
the case.

No, from the curves and data I referred to it appears that the earth's rotation is
speeding up, not slowing down. I was asking why this is the case, and if the data
indicates it is speeding up, why does everyone say it is slowing down? Also, what
could account for it speeding up if indeed it is.

Marshall


Due to tidal friction the earth rotation is slowing down. This
phenoimena has been measured and is fairly well understood. Are you
sure your interpretaion of the graphs is correct? What is the title
of the graph to which you are referring? I saw a couple at the link
you provided.