(Note: very large file, takes a long time to load)
This interesting animation appeared on the Wikipedia site.
And, the earth is still dealing with the event according to various reports of “wobble.”
The Earth, the collected mass around the eye of its gravitational vortex, is being pulled by its vortex spin to rotate around its axis once every 24 hours. It takes energy to spin the Earth and when that great amount of energy was released it must have drawn it, by energy conservation, from its vortex spin. Moreover, by energy conservation, the Earth’s raised lateral vibration draws energy from its forward spin causing a drag on its rotation. One effect is to slow down the Earth’s spin and make the day longer. This was confirmed by the Australian scientists.
Good grief, this is complete nonsense. Where should I begin? This article shows a lack of understanding of even the most basic physics (no fault of the Australians, I’m sure).
There is certainly (kinetic) energy in the rotation of the earth, but it doesn’t take any energy to keep it going. An earthquake can make small adjustments in the mass distribution of the earth, which changes the angular velocity of rotation and the kinetic energy slightly, but it does not change the angular momentum. The small change in the angular velocity would mean a small change in the length of the day; it might increase or decrease, depending on the adjustment of the mass distribution. The earthquake releases some energy,stored as elastic energy in the rock; it gets converted into a mixture of kinetic energy of rotation of the earth, gravitational energy of the mass distribution of the earth, and heat.
In the long run, the day is steadily getting longer—the rotational kinetic energy and angular velocity of the earth are decreasing, as is its angular momentum. The main reason is friction due to the tides, which are due to the sun’s and moon’s gravitational fields. The angular momentum of the earth’s rotation is gradually being transferred to the moon, which is slowly receding from the earth, and which gains overall in gravitational plus kinetic energy. The process will stop some time in the distant future when the length of the day and the length of the month are equal, something like 40 days each I think is the right figure. At that point the earth and moon will rotate in step, with one side of the earth permanently facing the moon, just as the moon now has one side permanently facing the earth.
Earthquakes may produce small bumps in this long-term trend, but they don’t cause it. In fact any effect that redistributes the mass of the earth will do the same. I’ve heard that measurements are sensitive enough to detect the rise and fall of the biomass (leaves in trees, etc) on an annual cycle.
I know this would never happen, but what if the Earth suddenly stopped spinning on a dime? Would everything go flying off in an Easternly direction? And if we don’t, can we get it moving a bit in case we get stuck in the dark side?
Mike_H: Its almost impossible to ban a single rr user without banning an entire city….
Newbiew: it is to do with the uncertainty principle. Those are C-7 shaped LEDs….