Japan 'Quake - amazing statistics of its geological impact on Earth

swannee7


Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 394

Message Posted:
15/03/2011 19:02

The island of Cyprus lies on a major fault line and there have been hundreds of earthquakes over the centuries. But however catastrophic for the island at the time, as we now know there has been no other recorded earthquake of magnitude 8.9-9.0 - the big one off Japan last Friday. It was so massive that it has resulted in a series of geological impacts on our planet. I quote......



13 feet - the distance eastwards that Japan's coastline may have moved as a result of the quake.

65 feet - the max. distance westwards that parts of the oceanic Pacific plate could have moved.

6.5 inches - the distance the 'quake shifted Earth off its axis, due to a redistribution of its mass.

1.8 millionths of a second - the time cut off a day, due to Earth spinning faster as a result of that redistribution.



Food for thought!

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
15/03/2011 19:27

Food for thought indeed! Thanks for sharing it.

cyprusjoker


Joined: 29/08/2009
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
15/03/2011 19:43

Does this mean that there is not exactly 24hrs in a day now ?

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
15/03/2011 20:08

24 hours was not enough, now what am I going to do with a shorter day?

ismet

swannee7


Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 394

Message Posted:
15/03/2011 20:34

I'm not a mathematician so can't work backwards from 24 hours minus 1.8 millionths/second. Over to you lot!