Earth Axis Tilted Shorten Time by 1.26 Microseconds

Lately I heard a very interesting new. It was about the massive earthquake that struck Chile this year may have shifted Earth's axis and created shorter days according to the scientists at NASA. The change is negligible, but permanent.

We should be having 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is one-millionth of a second) shorter each day, according to preliminary calculations. The large quake shifts massive amounts of rock and alters the distribution of mass on the planet, which changes the rate at which the planet rotates, where the rotation rate determines the length of a day.



The Earth spins on an axis that is tilted some 23.5° from the vertical. But this position is far from constant – the planet's axis is constantly shifting in response to changes in the distribution of mass around the Earth.

The changing climate has long been known to move Earth's axis. The planet's north pole, for example, is migrating along 79 °W – a line of longitude that runs through Toronto and Panama City – at a rate of about 10cm each year as the Earth rebounds from ice sheets that once weighed down large swaths of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Scientists estimate that the melting of Greenland's ice is already causing Earth's axis to tilt at an annual rate of about 2.6cm and that may increase significantly in the coming years. Now, they calculate that oceans warmed by the rise in greenhouse gases can also cause the Earth to tilt.

Researchers found that as the oceans warm and expand, more water will be pushed up and onto the Earth's shallower ocean shelves. Over the next century, the subtle effect is expected to cause the northern pole of Earth's spin axis to shift by roughly 1.5 cm per year in the direction of Alaska and Hawaii. The effect is relatively small but the motion is strong enough that it needs to be taken into account when interpreting shifts in Earth's axis.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, says the new work overturns previous ideas. "Up to now, people had believed that height variations [from ocean temperature changes] gave no contribution to polar motion," he told New Scientist. "This is an effect that now has to be considered."

Climate change can also affect the Earth's spin. Previously, the researchers showed that global warming would cause Earth's mass to be redistributed towards higher latitudes. Since that pulls mass closer to the planet's spin axis, it causes the planet to rotate faster. This is similar the the earthquake in Chile.

In summary, by thinking about all the information we gathered, Chile is one of the best example that redistribution of Earth's mass can cause the Earth to rotate faster, which causes shortening of Earth time. Global warming may cause the ice to melt and changes the Earth's mass, and thinking it back, this might lead to another time shift.

Would you want to create a world that we all live right now to change to a degree that beyond recognisable? Lets do our part to preserve Earth as out time has just shorten by 1.26 microseconds from the Chile incident.

All information were cited from various sources such as:
1. CNN website
2. NewScientist.com

The Story of Stuff & Bottled Water

I came across this 2 video clips on YouTube and thanks to it, I got this urge to blog it here, which I think it's good to share with all of you. It's really the time for us to consider some alternatives to salvage our planet Earth before it's beyond our limit to preserve it anymore.

Although thinking about it, I might have the feeling that it's slightly too late to do much to reverse the global warming reality, but we can still do our part to salvage it, prevent it to get worsen. I am worry if the hypothesis is right about the methane hydrate, which I blog about it in the previous blog, then we are facing the end of the world pretty soon if we do not do anything to repent our mistakes.

Hope you guys get a little bit more inspiration and motivation after watching this clips.

Methane Hydrate May Lead To Extinction of Mankind

I guess not many of us actually know what is methane hydrate. I do not want my blog to be too lengthy, so I will briefly explain about it. Methane hydrate or also known as methane clathrate is a frozen lattice-like substance, which can be found underlying our oceans and polar permafrost in huge amount. This crystalline combination of a natural gas and water looks remarkably like ice but burns if it meets a lit match. For more details about this substance, do read it from Wikipedia or Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory websites.

The reason this substance capture my attention to share it with you is not of its special features such can it can be burn in ice form but the potential of this substance to wipe out mankind. Yes, I am not kidding if we keep on contributing to global warming. It's not a joke.

Methane is a powerful green house gas which has a global warming potentil (GWP) of 62 over 20 years and 21 over 100 years (IPCC, 1996; Berner and Berner, 1996; vanLoon and Duffy, 2000). The sudden release of large amounts of natural gas from methane hydrate deposits has been hypothesized as a cause of past and possibly future climate changes. Events possibly linked in this way are the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Recent research carried out in 2008 in the Siberian Arctic has shown millions of tons of methane being released with concentrations in some regions reaching up to 100 times above normal.

Why is this a concern to us? Methane gas is not very stable in the atmosphere, which they literally converted to carbon dioxide which have a longer shelf life. If we did not play our part in order to reduce global warming, it might lead to the ocean's temperature increase, which later causing the methane hydrate to melt. The consequences, it triggers a positive feedback mechanism where it increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and lead to severe green house effect. You may read this in Discovery News on "Gas Releases Helped End Ice Ages" to know more how this may cause catastrophic effect to us.

Below is a video from YouTube about methane hydrate. Do watch it as it is a very informative.


Hope this blog does aware us about the importance of reducing global warming. I'm blogging about this in conjunction with the Earth Hour. It's part of my contribution to make an awareness to all of us. Lets save our Mother Earth in order to save ourselves. Salvation is in our hand. You may want to visit some of the websites that I have link it. Do visit some of this relevant site below too:
1) Jasa Eco official website or Jasa Eco blog
2) Earth Hour

Earth Hour 2010

I guess I will be blogging the same thing again as per last year blog about Earth Hour day. This year, the Earth Hour day falls on this Saturday, 27th of March. So, do play your role as part of the society that cares for our Mother nature and our Earth. Switch off the light for 60 minutes (1 hour) at 8.30pm. Approximately 88 countries are participating this event to save our Earth from global warming. Be a part of the society who cares for our future generations yet to ourselves.

You can always use the candles if you are afraid of dark like I do. Prepare some as precaution measures and don't forget the matches. Share this with your friends and family either by telling them directly, blog it or any other forms to convey it.

Stress Indication

Recently I got this email with the photo as above attached, which claim to be able to indicate whether you are stressful or not. The illustration is static, however if you found that it's moving, it indicates that you are stressful. The faster the movement, the more stressful you are.

It is claimed that the young and old people will find the illustration to be as static as still water. I have no idea how true it is. So lets try and check out your stress level. ^^

Telephone by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce Knowles

This is one of my favorite song yet I love her Gaga power. LOL. It's a great MV. Enjoy

Hello, hello, baby, you called, I can't hear a thing
I have got no service in the club, you see, see
Wha-Wha-What did you say? Oh, you're breaking up on me
Sorry, I cannot hear you, I'm kinda busy, k-kinda busy, k-kinda busy
Sorry, I cannot hear you, I'm kinda busy

Just a second, it's my favorite song they're gonna play
And I cannot text you with a drink in my hand, eh…
You shoulda made some plans with me, you knew that I was free
And now you won't stop calling me, I'm kinda busy

CHORUS
Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna think anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor
Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna talk anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor

Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh… Stop telephonin' me!
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh… I'm busy!
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh… Stop telephonin' me!
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh…

Can call all you want, but there's no one home,and you're not gonna reach my telephone!
Out in the club, and I'm sippin' that bub,and you're not gonna reach my telephone!
(X2)

Beyonce:
Boy, the way you blowin' up my phone, won't make me leave no faster.
Put my coat on faster, leave my girls no faster.
I shoulda left my phone at home, 'cause this is a disaster!
Callin' like a collector - sorry, I cannot answer!

Not that I don't like you, I'm just at a party
And I am sick and tired of my phone r-ringing
Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station.
Tonight I'm not takin' no calls, 'cause I'll be dancin'
'Cause I'll be dancin', 'cause I'll be dancin'
Tonight I'm not takin' no calls, 'cause I'll be dancin'!

Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna think anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor
Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna talk anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor

*Chorus*

My telephone! M-m-my telephone!
'Cause I'm out in the club, and I'm sippin' that bub,
and you're not gonna reach my telephone!
(X2)