Earthquakes in Chile and Japan in 2010 and 2011 shortened the length of an Earth day by 3.06 microseconds due to changes in mass distribution. Thrust earthquakes cause inward movement and can shorten days, while horizontal earthquakes have no effect. The length of a day varies by about 1,000 microseconds annually, and measuring it is only accurate to about 20 millionths of a second.
Earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 — in Chile and northeastern Japan — fractionally shortened the length of an Earth day by changing the planet’s mass distribution, in much the same way a skater accelerates a rotation. bringing his arms close to his body. Both earthquakes caused the Earth to rotate more rapidly, cutting a total of 3.06 microseconds off our 24-hour day. The magnitude 8.9 event in Japan and the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile were both thrust earthquakes. This type of event creates an inward movement, which can shorten the days. Other types of earthquakes, such as a horizontal earthquake in which two plates slide horizontally past each other, have no effect on the Earth’s rotation.
Wait a microsecond:
A microsecond is one millionth of a second.
An Earth day lasts approximately 86,400 seconds. Over a year, its length varies by about 1,000 microseconds, depending on seasonal variations such as the displacement of the jet stream.
Measuring a day is only accurate to about 20 millionths of a second. So the effect of an earthquake can be estimated, but not precisely measured.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
