Why news headlines omit the context of earthquake effects

  • Level: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Hurkyl
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Shock Value
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
Sign up Log in
4 replies · 3K views
Hurkyl
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
14,922
Reaction score
28
I found this amusing: I just read the Wikipedia article on the recent quake/tsunami, which mentions that the earthquake may have sped up Earth's rotation, shortening days by 3 microseconds... but balanced that by noting that the moon slows days by 15 microseconds each year. It also mentions that it caused the Earth to wobble an inch off of its axis... but balanced it by noting that the Earth already wobbles as much as 15 meters.


Then, I hear in the background (my TV's on) that the news reports only that the quake permanently shortened days and knocked the Earth an inch off of its axis.
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Discussion

Hurkyl, I am glad you posted that. I have been hearing these non-specific reports about the quake "affecting the Earth's orbit", and I was wondering what that was all about.
 
I really liked the wiki article and posted it on the thread in the Earth Sciences section. One of the quotes I included talked of the effect on rotation. I picked this specifically because it was the act of searching to find out what this was all about (after hearing spooky one-liners from the news) that took me to the Wiki article.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=414745&postcount=19
 
Sumatra is thought to have moved by as much as 120ft and the Earth to have shifted on its axis

...As for causing the Earth to wobble, most seismologists agree that this is likely but it has yet to be tested. “It causes the planet to wobble a little bit, but it is not going to turn Earth upside down,” Dr Sieh said.

The seismologist Hiroo Kanamori, of Caltech, said that the quake would probably have affected the Earth’s rotation and the regular wobble of its axis. “The question is how much and can it be detected,” he told the Los Angeles Times. ...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1418302,00.html
 
Hurkyl said:
I found this amusing: I just read the Wikipedia article on the recent quake/tsunami, which mentions that the earthquake may have sped up Earth's rotation, shortening days by 3 microseconds... but balanced that by noting that the moon slows days by 15 microseconds each year. It also mentions that it caused the Earth to wobble an inch off of its axis... but balanced it by noting that the Earth already wobbles as much as 15 meters.


Then, I hear in the background (my TV's on) that the news reports only that the quake permanently shortened days and knocked the Earth an inch off of its axis.
I wonder if I could use the wobble to get out of that failed sobriety test.
"Your honor, I could have walked a straight line, that damn wobble kept moving the line.