SE Asian Earthquake & Earth's Rotation

There was a blurb on the TV news today asserting that at some point the
level 9 earthquake in southeast Asia even affected the Earth's
rotation!

Does anybody know what was meant by that?

Double-A

Double-A wrote:
There was a blurb on the TV news today asserting that at some point the
level 9 earthquake in southeast Asia even affected the Earth's
rotation!

Does anybody know what was meant by that?

Double-A

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...uakeusmapshift

I'm a pretty firm believer in chaos theory as it applies to weather.
When the earth gets to moving around like it did in Indonesia I tend to
believe that the after affects will cause weather pattern changes around
the globe. If you're walking down a flat path and then suddenly the
path rises 20 meters, do you think that's going to be a pretty big
change to the surrounding environment?

According to the USGS the shift in the Indian plate caused the Burma
plate to rise significantly. That rise in relation to the global water
level forced all the water in the area around it to have to go someplace
else which caused the tsunami.

I'm just wondering why so many people died. When you live in an area
where this type of event is not totally uncommon, you'd think the people
in those areas would know better. 20,000+ dead tourists would have
been expected, not 20,000+ natives.

Yes, it's a cold-blooded, hardcore way to view it but as is obvious,
lack of common-sense sometimes carries some extreme consequences.

Southern Hospitality wrote:
Double-A wrote:
There was a blurb on the TV news today asserting that at some point
the
level 9 earthquake in southeast Asia even affected the Earth's
rotation!

Does anybody know what was meant by that?

Double-A


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...uakeusmapshift


Thanks for the story.


I'm a pretty firm believer in chaos theory as it applies to weather.
When the earth gets to moving around like it did in Indonesia I tend
to
believe that the after affects will cause weather pattern changes
around
the globe. If you're walking down a flat path and then suddenly the
path rises 20 meters, do you think that's going to be a pretty big
change to the surrounding environment?

According to the USGS the shift in the Indian plate caused the Burma
plate to rise significantly. That rise in relation to the global
water
level forced all the water in the area around it to have to go
someplace
else which caused the tsunami.


I was wondering whether the rising of islands and such would shed any
light on whether the Earth might be expanding or shrinking. If
expanding, the rotation should slow. If shrinking, the rotation should
speed up. However, if one plate is subsuming underneath another plate,
then there must be some lowering of altitudes elsewhere, perhaps over a
vast area, to compensate for the rising of lands at the site of the
quake.


I'm just wondering why so many people died. When you live in an area

where this type of event is not totally uncommon, you'd think the
people
in those areas would know better. 20,000+ dead tourists would have
been expected, not 20,000+ natives.


According to some of the reports from the area, this type of event
isn't so common there. Maybe that's just their excuse for not being
prepared, I don't know. But I'll bet this event will draw the nations
of the Indian Ocean into setting up a Tsunami warning system similar to
the one already in place in the Pacific rim.


Yes, it's a cold-blooded, hardcore way to view it but as is obvious,
lack of common-sense sometimes carries some extreme consequences.


As a science oriented person, I am much more interested in hearing
these science snippets about how the Earth is being affected, rather
than endless compilations of the body count.

Double-A

This was truly a worldwide earthquake. Vibrations were detected as far
away as Central Park NYC. Six-foot Tsunami waves were observed in
South America some 23 hours after the quake.

Today's reports are that the Earth's day may have been shortened by
milliseconds. Does this indicate global shrinkage? One would think
that if the Earth is continuing to cool, that some small shrinkage
would be occurring.

I guess I'll put off my thoughts of buying a beach house for now!

The odd thing is that on the coastline near where I live, there are
plenty of hills where houses would be safe. Yet everyone builds on the
low ground that is not only subject to Tsunamis and storm driven waves,
but also to flooding by local rivers. Look to the hills, and you see
only trees.

Double-A

Now the news reports now say that the earthquake may have shortened the
Earth's rotational day by up to 3 microseconds. If this is true, then
that means the Earth is now rotating faster! This would result if the
Earth's mass were to move closer it the center.
Is this conclusive evidence that the Earth is shrinking?

Double-A

Now the news reports now say that the earthquake may have shortened the
Earth's rotational day by up to 3 microseconds. If this is true, then
that means the Earth is now rotating faster! This would result if the
Earth's mass has pulled closer to its center.
Is this conclusive evidence that the Earth is shrinking?

Double-A

Double-A wrote:
Now the news reports now say that the earthquake may have shortened the
Earth's rotational day by up to 3 microseconds. If this is true, then
that means the Earth is now rotating faster! This would result if the
Earth's mass has pulled closer to its center.

Assuming a rotational speed up (yet to be confirmed) is based on
the conservation of angular momentum (idealized here are there
are other contributing factors in the changes of the earth's
rotation rate)...

Is this conclusive evidence that the Earth is shrinking?

No--the earth is not appreciably shrinking or expanding. In general
the Earth's rotation rate slowing from tidal friction (2 parts due
to the Moon and 1 part due to the Sun).

OUR RESTLESS TIDES
http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/restles1.html

we will stick you there to warn of all future events


Southern Hospitality wrote:

Double-A wrote:
There was a blurb on the TV news today asserting that at some point the
level 9 earthquake in southeast Asia even affected the Earth's
rotation!

Does anybody know what was meant by that?

Double-A

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...uakeusmapshift

I'm a pretty firm believer in chaos theory as it applies to weather.
When the earth gets to moving around like it did in Indonesia I tend to
believe that the after affects will cause weather pattern changes around
the globe. If you're walking down a flat path and then suddenly the
path rises 20 meters, do you think that's going to be a pretty big
change to the surrounding environment?

According to the USGS the shift in the Indian plate caused the Burma
plate to rise significantly. That rise in relation to the global water
level forced all the water in the area around it to have to go someplace
else which caused the tsunami.

I'm just wondering why so many people died. When you live in an area
where this type of event is not totally uncommon, you'd think the people
in those areas would know better. 20,000+ dead tourists would have
been expected, not 20,000+ natives.

Yes, it's a cold-blooded, hardcore way to view it but as is obvious,
lack of common-sense sometimes carries some extreme consequences.

ISU WINS! wrote:
we will stick you there to warn of all future events


Southern Hospitality wrote:
I'm just wondering why so many people died. When you live in an area
where this type of event is not totally uncommon, you'd think the people
in those areas would know better. 20,000+ dead tourists would have
been expected, not 20,000+ natives.

Yes, it's a cold-blooded, hardcore way to view it but as is obvious,
lack of common-sense sometimes carries some extreme consequences.


Foot the bill and I'll start packing. I'm all for preventing needless
loss of life.

Best not to move to Florida Louisiana,Alabama,or Texas. Florida has many
reasons for being the worst with loss of life. I'll let you all list the
reasons We might all have to move to Iowa,or Indiana Bert.