Tuesday, July 2, 2019

A Faster Earth (part 5)


The Earth's rotational speed is actually in constant fluctuation. Earthquakes, melting ice, tsunamis, and large air masses are all influencing the Earth's spin, though only by milliseconds. Imagine an earthquake collapsing a portion of ground—this produces a change in the Earth's circumference, reducing it slightly and essentially speeding up the planet's rotation. A large air mass, however, can have an opposite effect, slowing rotation just like you'd slow yourself down in a spinning chair by extending your arms and legs. Are there any events we should be concerned about that might cause a more noticeable change in the Earth's rotational speed? There has already been such an event in the Earth's history...

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