8.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Chile Changes Earths Axis
Written by Dr. Strangenews Thursday, 04 March 2010 00:32
Seventh Largest Earthquake Ever
The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.
The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
"Perhaps
more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA
officials said in a Monday update.
Not since the the mighty Sumatra earthquake of December 2004 has an eathquake caused such a jolt in the earth axis.
The 2004 quake in Asia caused the Earth to move by around seven centimeters and chopped an estimated 6.8 microseconds off the length of a day, NASA said.
Already up to 800 people have been reported dead in the quake.Many coastal areas have been devastated by the tsunami that followed the earthquake as the 15 foot high waves engulf villages. Looting and disorder has followed and President Bachelet addressed the problem saying, "We have seen images that frankly are intorlerable. We want to make it clear that it won't be accepted. The government will apply the full force of the law."
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