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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 9.0 magnitude quake (the fourth-largest recorded since 1900) was caused when the Pacific tectonic plate dove 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 sank 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 Los Angeles Times.
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.
I think that it is very interesting that the Earth's day was shortened. It was a very divistating earthquake and the tsunami was there to make matters no better. Japan will have some trying times in font of them and will have to come together to get through it. I think that the Earth has been loosing time every earthquake after reading this. The fact is that there is nothing that can be done to stop earthquakes. Earthquakes are a part of life and I think the best we can do is learn from what has happened before and try to be stong together.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the idea of the fact that earth is spinning faster. If an earthquake like that can do that much damage i wonder what would happen if many earthquakes like that happened at the same time. The distance Japan moved is a great deal. I it must have taken many years for our tectonic plates to get to where they are now. I feel bad for all the Japanese people, but I am glad that we got more information on earthquakes for the future.
ReplyDeleteIt's very shocking that that earthquake did that! It is also very ratteling how much Japan moved! I feel very bad for the people in Japan. We are fortunate though that we have the technology now to know more about future eathquakes, like Abby said.
ReplyDeleteJapans earthquake was a catastrophic event in their history, They are going to need a lot of foreign help and they will have a tough economic time for awhile now. Put your prayers for all the people there and lets hope that nothing worse can happen to Japan
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