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Is The Earth's Rotation Changing?

Posted by Hemos on from the moving-slowly-along dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "We all know about the current controversies associated with the ozone layer or the global warming phenomenon. Now, the NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) is warning us that atmospheric changes or El Niño events can affect the Earth's rotation. During El Niño years, for example, the rotation of the Earth may slow ever so slightly because of stronger winds, increasing the length of a day by a fraction of a millisecond. David A. Salstein, an atmospheric scientist from Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., led a recent study about this possible effect. Salstein looked at meteorological and astronomical measurements from different sources and found they were in good agreement. Check this column for a synthesis. For technical explanations, images and animations, please read this NASA paper, Changes in the Earth's rotation are in the wind."

7 of 372 comments (clear)

  1. boom by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    boom

  2. Hey, subscriptions aren't working... by FortKnox · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ...cause I don't have one, and the title is a red-bar.

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    Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
    1. Re:Hey, subscriptions aren't working... by PunchMonkey · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      ...cause I don't have one, and the title is a red-bar.

      SSSsssshhhhhhh!!! Keep quiet. Or they might also notice that everyone has a free subscription to the bsd section. Every story there shows up with a red title bar!!!

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      I'll have something intelligent to add one of these days...
  3. Re:Oh great, by MojoMonkey · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Too bad I don't have mod points, I'd mod this up to insightful. ESPECIALLY after reading the post directly above it.

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    ----- "Blame the guy who doesn't speak English." -- Homer J. Simpson
  4. Offtopic by the_bean42 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It's funny because it's true !

    Ok, damn offtopic and you deserve an offtopic mod, but still...

    I'm brave enough not to post anonymously.

  5. Re:Movie Material by talesout · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    I have a better movie idea.

    It seems that the moon is moving away from the Earth at approximately a quarter of an inch every year or so. Something like that. That's actual fact. Also fact is that as the moon moves further away it has less of a stabalizing effect on the Earth's "tilt". So, we could end up with the Earth's axis rotating around as much as ninety degrees. So what? Imagine if you will, the equator passing through the coldest areas and the poles being in line with the brightest/hottest areas of the planet. Problems? You might say so.

    So how about we get some moron to go up there and push the moon back towards the Earth. Then, in true Hollywood disaster film fashion, they can overshoot and send the moon spiralling downward towards the surface. That'd be a nice exciting one. Stabilize that orbit motherfuckers.

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    Bite my yammer.
  6. Re:But what about the moon? by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    who ever modded this dude Troll is an ignorent moron. the moon will be gone one day and we will be in deep shit becasue we will lose all control of out axis which will destroy any seeasons and we will have no polar ice caps etc.

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    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3