In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake shifted the planet’s axis and shortened Earth’s days

In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan, shifting the Earth’s axis, and shortening the days on Earth.

The earthquake—the most powerful ever to hit the country—shifted the planet’s axis by about 17 cm (6.5 in), and may have moved the main island by about 2.4 meters (8 ft). Like other similar large earthquakes, it also changed the rotational speed of the Earth.

“Earthquakes can change the Earth’s rotation by rearranging the Earth’s mass. This is what a snowboarder does to make herself spin faster. She moves her arms closer to her body, and she moves her mass closer to the axis around which she spins,” explained Dr. Richard Gross of the Propulsion Laboratory. NASA’s Jet told Popular Mechanics in 2011: “And earthquakes do the same.”

“This earthquake must have moved the mass on average a little closer to the Earth’s axis of rotation to make the Earth spin faster and the length of the day a little smaller.”

By looking at models of Earth’s mass distribution before the earthquake and using estimates of how the fault slides during an earthquake, Gross was able to work out how the mass distribution changed.

He added, “Then, by conserving angular momentum, if I know how to rearrange the Earth’s mass, then I know how the Earth’s rotation has changed.”

In all, the earthquake accelerated the Earth’s rotation by about 1.8 microseconds (1.8 millionths of a second). By comparison, the Indonesian earthquake in 2004 speeded up Earth’s day by an estimated 2.68 microseconds.

Earthquakes are not the only events and factors that affect the speed of Earth’s rotation.

After the 2004 Indonesian earthquake, Dr. Benjamin Fung Chau, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, explained that “any terrestrial event involving mass movement affects the Earth’s rotation, from seasonal weather to driving.”

There are many factors that affect the speed of rotation, such as changing sea levels and shifts within the Earth, although the biggest factor is that the Moon is moving away from Earth (who can blame) and when the two bodies interact, the result is the slowing of the Earth, albeit That with bursts of speed now and then.

By looking at ancient coral reefs, scientists have discovered that the Earth was spinning much faster 444-419 million years ago. Every day, the coral puts on a delicate layer of calcium as it grows. Since corals grow more in the dry season than in the wet seasons, you can then count the calcium carbonate sediment lines in each season and calculate how many days there have been in a year. Using this method, the team determined that the Earth had 420 days a year 444-419 million years ago, before the moon’s influence slowed down.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos