Earthquake moved Japan by 8 feet, shifted Earth's axis and shortened days

story by One News Page
written by Marc Pinter-Krainer

PASADENA, CA -- Experts at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) led by geophysicist Richard Gross have determined that Friday's devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake in north-eastern Japan was powerful enough to shift the Earth's axis by about 6.5 inches (17 centimetres). Our planet's rotation may have also accelerated, shortening the length of the day.

Gross said: "By changing the distribution of the Earth's mass, the Japanese earthquake should have caused the Earth to rotate a bit faster, shortening the length of the day by about 1.8 microseconds".

Initial data also suggests that Friday's earthquake shifted the entire island chain of Japan by about 8 feet (2.4 metres), according to US Geological Suvery (USGS) expert Kenneth Hudnut.

Friday's earthquake was the 5th largest tremor in the world for the past 110 years or so, and the largest ever to hit Japan. It was followed by 20+ aftershocks of magnitude 6 or higher.

Meanwhile, experts are now warning of a second large earthquake to strike the region within the next few days. Dr Kevin McCue, Director of the Australian Seismological Centre, told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that there had been more than 100 smaller quakes since Friday, but a larger aftershock of magnitude 7.9 was likely.

Japan's world-renowned centre for earthquake prediction said there was a seven-in-ten chance of a tremor with a magnitude of seven or more hitting "within the next three days".