Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet

Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet

Last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has actually moved the island closer to the United States and shifted the planet's axis.

The quake caused a rift 15 miles below the sea floor that stretched 186 miles long and 93 miles wide, according to the AP. The areas closest to the epicenter of the quake jumped a full 13 feet closer to the United States, geophysicist Ross Stein at the United States Geological Survey told The New York Times.


The world's fifth-largest, 8.8 magnitude quake was caused when the Pacific tectonic plate dived under the North American plate, which shifted Eastern Japan towards North America by about 13 feet (see NASA's before and after photos at right). The quake also shifted the earth's axis by 6.5 inches, shortened the day by 1.6 microseconds, and sunk Japan downward by about two feet. As Japan's eastern coastline sunk, the tsunami's waves rolled in.

Why did the quake shorten the day? The earth's mass shifted towards the center, spurring the planet to spin a bit faster. Last year's massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile also shortened the day, but by an even smaller fraction of a second. The 2004 Sumatra quake knocked a whopping 6.8 micro-seconds off the day.

After the country's 1995 earthquake, Japan placed high-tech sensors around the country to observe even the slightest movements, which is why scientists are able to calculate the quake's impact down to the inch. "This is overwhelmingly the best-recorded great earthquake ever," Lucy Jones, chief scientist for the Multi-Hazards project at the U.S. Geological Survey, told The Boston Herald.

The tsunami's waves necessitated life-saving evacuations as far away as Chile. Fisherman off the coast of Mexico reported a banner fishing day Friday, and speculated that the tsunami knocked sealife in their direction.

well, I'm no scientist on all that, but I know one thing for sure:

when all the containment/clean-up workers at a damaged nuclear plant leave in helicoptors,
things are not good !!!!

c/thru wrote:

well, I'm no scientist on all that, but I know one thing for sure:

when all the containment/clean-up workers at a damaged nuclear plant leave in helicoptors,
things are not good !!!!

and you see people walking around in those little dust masks

"...the death toll was fewer because it was well organized japan..." went the goblin, wondering what it would have been like if it had been california then, adding "...it's called the ring of fire, and, since most sides of the ring have gone off already, the question remains which area has been too quiet for comfort..."

I dunno where to put my money .... but it's true "the universe abhors complacency"
(can't cite who said that, some physics guy having a spiritual experience that I once read )

fleamailman wrote:

"...the death toll was fewer because it was well organized japan..." went the goblin, wondering what it would have been like if it had been california then, adding "...it's called the ring of fire, and, since most sides of the ring have gone off already, the question remains which area has been too quiet for comfort..."

california is full of liberals. they're screwed