NASA Claims a Massive Earthquake in 2004 Shifted Earth’s Axis and Changed Length of a Day
The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake is one of the most devastating disasters that has ever befallen humanity. Its impact changed several regions and lives forever. Another consequence of this disaster was put forward by NASA, according to LADBible. This consequence has reportedly been affecting the world for a long time.
NASA scientists analyzed data gathered by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake. Their analysis revealed that the disaster was so powerful that it shifted the Earth's axis. This alteration impacted the planet's rotation and shortened the Earth's day. The finding sheds light on the planet's sensitivity to geological disaster.
The Earthquake was so devastating that 230,000 people lost their lives across 14 countries. Seismometers worldwide picked up vibrations for days, and their long-term consequences kept unfolding even after a year.
On the Richter scale, the earthquake registered a magnitude of nine, stated the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was the fourth-largest earthquake in the last 100 years, and also the most intense one, since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake. Experts think the earthquake originated because of the India and Burma plates coming close together.
Calculations showcased that the day was shortened by 2.68 microseconds. Experts compared the phenomenon to a spinning skater bringing their arm closer to the body to increase their speed. During the earthquake, a certain amount of mass got shifted and moved closer to the Earth's axis. Just like in the case of the skater, here also the rotation sped up.
The 2004 earthquake caused a huge portion of the Earth's crust underneath the ocean floor to move, according to the LAD Bible. This displaced massive amounts of water and eventually resulted in a Tsunami. Along with this displacement, the rock and Earth’s internal material also got redistributed during the disaster.
NASA scientists concluded that the redistribution facilitated an undetectable change in day duration, stated the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Therefore, it was only through calculations by scientists that the reality of shortening came out in front of the world the next year. Researchers looked into this issue because they already knew that disasters like this could produce a shift in durations. "Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car," Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said.
Along with the shortening of the day, the disaster also slightly changed the planet's shape. Researchers found that after the earthquake, Earth's oblateness had decreased a bit. Oblateness refers to a body's flatness on the top and bulging at the equator. Researchers estimated that it reduced about one part in 10 billion. This change followed the trend of previously analyzed earthquakes, which also made Earth less oblate. Another noteworthy change brought by the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake was the shifting of the North Pole by centimeters. Researchers found that the North Pole had moved by about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch), in the direction of 145 degrees East Longitude. This movement towards the east had also been observed in previous seismic studies.