Chile Earthquake, Earth's Rotation, and Big Changes

The 8.8 earthquake in Latin America last weekend has caused considerable changes throughout the world. Not only was there a tsunami some 6,700 miles away on the other side of the ocean, but the force of the earthquake actually caused the earth to shift three inches off her axis.

Three inches doesn't sound like all that much, but it is enough of a shift to shorten our days. The earth's rotation is what determines how long our day is. With the shift, the earth sped up 1.26 microseconds. This means that our day is actually shorter than it was last week at this time. It's kind of eerie when you think about it - how one natural disaster can change the earth so much.

In short, you probably won't feel the change of the earth's rotation. 1.26 microseconds is an unfathomably short period of time. In the time it takes you to read one word, it will have passed.

Still, the effects are chilling. Although scientists claim that the changes won't affect climate, many are still worried. The climate and weather patterns are determined by the earth's tilt and not rotation. The quake didn't knock the earth off its current tilt.

But is there a possibility that more of these quakes could cause that type of problem? If one 8.8 earthquake is enough to shorten one day - can you imagine what a chain of large quakes could do?

The Chilean earthquake was actually quite worse than the one in Haiti in January. The Wall Street Journal estimates that insured losses could top $8 billion. Of course there are likely not very many insured places in Haiti - an island community struck with poverty. Corporate insurers will have to foot the bill for some of Chile's losses, whereas the Haitian losses will be paid primarily by governments and those with a big heart who wish to help the relief efforts.

Millions have been displaced and there is a lot of chaos going on in the area. There are so many people who are so desperate that they are turning to looting to ensure that their families have the means necessary to be provided for.

The Chile earthquake came less than 24 hours after an earthquake hit Japan. The Japanese quake didn't do any damage and was located off the shore. There were tsunami warnings issued in connection with the quake.

There have been aftershocks felt for days after the quake. There's no word over how long the aftershocks will last.

Source:

CNN