日本地震导致地球自转加快英文材料.doc

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1、JapanQuakeShortensEarthDayJapan'sdevastating9.0・magnitudeearthquakelastFridaywassopowerfulthatexpertssayitslightlyincreasedtheEarth'srotationspeed,makingthedayafractionofasecondshorter.U.S.spaceagencyscientistRichardGrosssaidthequakeshiftedthewaytheEa

2、rth'smassisdistributed,whichmadetheplanetspinalittlefaster,cuttingthe24-hourdaybyanestimated1.8microseconds.Thatislessthantwomillionthsofonesecond.Thescenarioislikethatofafigureskaterwhodrawsherarmsintoherbodyduringaspin,inordertoturnfasterontheice.Th

3、eshiftintheearth'smasswasalsoseeninsurfacechangestotheJapanesecoastline,causedbythesuddenslippageofcollidingplatesoftheearth"scrustfarbelow・Globalpositioningstationsclosesttotheepicentermovedeastwardbyupto4metersduringthequake.Lastyear's8.8・magnitudee

4、arthquakeinChile,andthe9.1-magnitudequakethatstruckIndonesiain2004eachcutseveralmicrosecondsfromthelengthoftheEarth'sday・ItisnormalforthelengthofadayonEarthtovarybyabout1.000microseconds(onemillisecond)throughouttheyear.TheU.S.GeologicalSurveysaysthee

5、arthquakeinJapanwastheworld'sfifth-largestsince1900.